Mother's Heartbreak: Two Young Children Drown in Tragic Breath-Holding Game

A Philadelphia mother is sharing her pain and warning others of the dangers of underwater breath-holding games after her 14-year-old and 11-year-old children drowned over Memorial Day weekend.

Brittney McWhite, a mother from Philadelphia, is speaking out about the tragic loss of her two children, Wadale, 14, and London Marie, 11, who drowned in a pool over the Memorial Day weekend. The incident serves as a chilling reminder of the risks associated with breath-holding games in the water, even for children who are strong swimmers.

Early in May, McWhite and her six children visited their aunt's house in New Jersey for a holiday cookout. As the children played in the pool, McWhite initially felt reassured. However, as she helped set up the food, she noticed that her children were engaging in a game where they submerged themselves underwater and held their breath.

Mother's Heartbreak: Two Young Children Drown in Tragic Breath-Holding Game

After three or four minutes, McWhite realized that she could no longer see Wadale and London Marie. Family members rushed to the pool and pulled the drowning children out. "I am CPR certified. But in that moment, when it's your own child, you go into shock," McWhite recalled.

Monroe Township Police received a call at 6:46 p.m. reporting the drowning incident. Wadale and London Marie were rushed to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and placed on life support. For a week, they remained in a critical condition, showing no signs of brain activity and suffering from regular seizures.

Mother's Heartbreak: Two Young Children Drown in Tragic Breath-Holding Game

Though there was a glimmer of hope when both children briefly took breaths on their own, their mother realized that "the only thing keeping them alive was the machines." Heartbreakingly, McWhite made the difficult decision to remove her children from life support.

"Keep your kids close. Tell your kids you love them while they're here. Once something happens, all you have is memories," McWhite told Fox News Digital. "It's horrible, you never get those back. It's hard, but you have other kids, and you still have a family. You don't have time to grieve."

Mother's Heartbreak: Two Young Children Drown in Tragic Breath-Holding Game

From now on, McWhite and her remaining children are adhering to strict water safety measures. "I'll always be present, I'll always be there. Life jackets, floaties, whatever they need," she said.

McWhite urges parents to forbid breath-holding underwater games and to ensure constant supervision when children are swimming. "If they are going to go underwater, definitely make sure that they have eyes on them at all times; just because they know how to swim [doesn't mean] freak accidents [can't] happen."

Mother's Heartbreak: Two Young Children Drown in Tragic Breath-Holding Game

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns of the dangers of breath-holding behaviors underwater, which can lead to hypoxic or breath-hold blackouts and involuntary drowning. Without immediate rescue, swimmers can quickly succumb to drowning.

The nonprofit Shallow Water Blackout Prevention emphasizes the importance of recognizing these risks and recommends that lifeguards and guardians actively monitor children in pools, as they can mistake drowning victims for children playing breath-holding games.

Mother's Heartbreak: Two Young Children Drown in Tragic Breath-Holding Game

"This is the new 'no diving,'" lifeguard Jeff Little said about signs prohibiting breath holding at pools. "Each breath hold, especially if you're underwater, is like rolling dice."

McWhite's story serves as a tragic reminder of the importance of water safety and the dangers associated with breath-holding games. By sharing her pain, she hopes to prevent other families from experiencing similar heartache.

Mother's Heartbreak: Two Young Children Drown in Tragic Breath-Holding Game