Father thanks neighbors for saving toddler's life

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A grateful Indianapolis family has thanks all around for their neighbors who came to the rescue of their 2-year-old son. It's something a lot of parents can relate to — you turn your back for just a few minutes and your child is gone.

Randy Dorris says he was out of sight for less than 10 minutes and that's when he found his 2-year-old son Carson floating in the family pool. Thursday, he thanked people who helped save the boy.

It's was a happy reunion.

“They saved his life, I'm a firm believer of that,” says Randy Dorris, Carson’s father.

“I just heard someone hollering, ‘Help, someone help, call the cops, help!’ And I look over and I see him carrying the baby out and he was just limp,” says the neighbor first to respond, Kitty Strong.

Randy Dorris is thankful both his neighbors — including an off-duty Indianapolis Metropolitan Police detective — were home the night he found his son lying lifeless in a pool. Homicide Detective Douglas Cook snapped into action when he heard Randy Dorris pleading for help.

“His eyes were fixed and dilated and he was already purple. I didn't know if we had much chance or not,” Cook said.

The detective and next door neighbor Strong performed CPR on the 2-year-old.

“The color comes back and you see the eyes start to move, and then you hear the gurgling and the moaning, and its like he's coming back, it's a good feeling,” Cook said.

Randy Dorris is grateful his son is alive, but don't call detective Cook a hero. He says its just part of the job.

"I like the feeling that I helped save this child’s life, but there's a lot of other things that get done in this department, and I think it's a lot more important than what I did. I don't look at myself as any kind of hero at all," Cook said.

But for one father, Detective Cook and Kitty Strong will always be his heroes.

“I thought he was gone and they gave us, they gave me a second chance to be a father, and they gave us a second chance to have him with us," Dorris said.

Carson will be released from the hospital on Thursday. Dorris said he will be getting rid of his backyard pool.