WHALE COVE
Looking back on a near-tragedy that took place in Whale Cove the evening of July 14, everyone involved agree on how quickly and unexpectedly it all happened.

Four-year-old Solomon-George Qinalugaq Atatsiak, seen here with his namesake grandfather Solomon Voisey, left, almost drowned in Hudson Bay at Whale Cove July 14. Allison Napayok, who braved the frigid waters, and Pamela Arualak saved the boy. - photo courtesy of Shelley Ann Atatsiak

Campbell and Shelley Ann Atatsiak were indoors at Shelley Ann's parents', Solomon Voisey and Eva Voisey.

"My husband was waiting for our youngest to get ready. (Our other son) Solomon, he's four, went out with his sister to wait for their dad and little brother," says Shelley Ann. "He's a very obedient child. We tell him not to go down to the dock and next thing he followed his older sister ... just in five minutes it happened. My mother's house is very close to the dock and without a doubt we knew he was just outside playing."

Meanwhile, cousins Allison Napayok and Pamela Arualak went for a drive around the new dock, taking photos of the area. On their way back, the young women saw children playing around the floating dock. Pamela decided they should tell the children to go home, because it wasn't safe for them to be there without adult supervision. Pamela was mostly concerned about polar bears.

"So we told the children not to be there. Allison went down the floating dock just to make sure that there were no other kids inside the boat. Some kids can hide, too, so she thought she should check more deeply into it. There was no-one so ... It all happened all of a sudden when the little boy fell in front of her and in front of me."

Solomon was walking backwards on the dock, when he tripped over a 2x4 and fell into the freezing Hudson Bay.

Pamela screamed, saying she couldn't swim.

"Allison jumped in and grabbed the little boy and started swimming with him to the shore. I took the ATV and drove to the closest place I could go to ... and that's Solomon and Eva Voisey's house, the grandparents of the child."

Shelley Ann remembers being confused when Pamela ran into the house. At first she thought Pamela said Henry was in the water, but Henry was in the house. Pamela yelled, 'It's Solomon, he's in the water!'

While Pamela was getting help, Allison was struggling.

"As I was swimming and getting close to the shore, I lost it and got extremely cold and had no more energy. That's when I decided to stay in one spot to wait for the parents to come."

Little Solomon's parents and grandparents raced

to the dock. Pamela also

raced back.

"By the time I was there Allison was still in the water with the little boy. She was so close to the shore but too cold that she didn't have the strength to move more. She tiptoed to the ground and breathed through her nose for air and she kept the child up, floating," says Pamela.

Father and grandfather pulled the boy out of the water. Shelley Ann was there, too.

"My husband pulled out Solomon. He got to me. I was so shocked that my strength was weak. All I said was Jesus' name. It gave me strength."

With the help of a friend and her Honda, they raced to the health centre.

"He was breathing but his crying was different. You could hear water, when he was crying," says Shelley Ann.

Campbell and the elder Solomon pulled Allison out of the frigid water.

"When we got to the health centre, his muscles were stiff," said Shelley Ann about her son.

"When I tried to take his sweater off, his arms were just stiff. We put him on the bed, covered him in blankets. After about half an hour to 45 minutes he puked out all the water he swallowed."

Eva took Allison home and she had a hot bath. She told her friends on Facebook the next day:

"I couldn't think of anything else but the little boy, thinking he has died in my arms, but Pamela said to me he's fine and OK. I wasn't believing her (when) she told me he's fine, felt so unreal. Today I saw him and went up to him and told him he's a really ajungi boy and kunik him. From there I felt so much better knowing he's alive and OK."

Shelley Ann says her son is doing well.

"He's playing around and back to himself."

She says, "I am very happy. I am very thankful. Words seem so small towards Allie ... Pamela said that she can't swim so she told Allie to go into the water. Allie jumped in and I can tell you it was freezing cold. I'm so happy the tide was low. Because when Allie was waiting for us to come down to the dock Allie said he was so heavy that she'd go down to the ground so she could keep Solomon up above the water. She had to jump up from the ground to keep Solomon floating up above the water.

"I praise God with all my might that he was given another chance."

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