Former NFL Player Becomes Seminole County Firefighter After Tragic Loss
SEMINOL COUNTY, Florida. – Former New England Patriot and University of Central Florida football player joins the Seminole County Fire Department.
Chris Martin left his life as an NFL star after a terrible personal tragedy and decided to become a firefighter to teach others how to avoid that tragedy.
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Martin’s two-year-old son, Gunner, was precious, charming, and had everything a dad could want in a little boy.
“April 6, 2016, my wife and I unfortunately found our son at the bottom of the pool,” Martin said. “We had a pool in the yard. We weren’t really aware of the various preventive measures we could take to prevent this.”
The Florida native was playing football at the time, first with the UCF and later with the NFL.
“That’s when I realized that this is what I want to do when I’m done,” Martin said.
He had close friends at the Seminole County Fire Department, and he knew that was where he could make a difference.
“If no child drowns in Florida, especially in Seminole County, that will be fine,” Martin said. “If we could live in this ideal world, it would be great. But, unfortunately, the odds are not in Floridians’ favor just because it’s Florida.”
Martin said the worst call for any lifeguard is the one that says a child has been hurt.
According to the Seminole County Fire Department, 93 children drowned in the state last year. This number includes five in Seminoles, six in Osceola, eight in Brevard, and five in Orange counties.
“Some family members often objected to me, saying that I should not go to these calls, and I am sure that my lieutenant would not force me, but in fact I would like to do it,” Martin said. “If I could go to a drowning little child and be there, try to help revive and hopefully bring him back, I would love the opportunity. Why? Because I was there.”
Through the fire department and his wife’s foundation for his son Gunner, the Gunner Martin Foundation – Water Safety and Drowning Prevention, Martin teaches other parents who have pools how to make them safer and, most importantly, why.
“So, if my wife knew what we are doing now, things would be different,” Martin said. “And that’s one of the important things that I want people to understand. There are several preventive measures that can help with this. Apparently children are wandering around, many children are attracted to water – my son was attracted to water. There are things that can be put in place, like putting in a door alarm, like if there’s a pool party, for someone to watch the pool, put up a pool fence. There are so many different levels.”
What would Martin say to every parent in Central Florida who has a toddler and a pool?
“As a parent, I would say that you should know CPR,” Martin said. “You should at least know basic CPR. And if you have access to some swimming lessons.
Swimming lessons are also available for babies. ISR, or Children’s Swimming Resource, is a place where children learn to walk on water.
The Martin Foundation pays for local swimming lessons.
Martin’s wife also sought to strengthen pool safety laws. She found that older pools are usually legacy and not necessarily subject to the same stricter code requirements as newer pools, which can make them more vulnerable. She is trying to close this loophole.
Below you can read more water safety tips offered by the Florida Department of Health in Seminole County.
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texasstandard.news contributed to this report.
