Toddler daughter of Olympic skier drowns in pool
THE 19-month-old daughter of US Olympic skier Bode Miller has drowned in a Southern California swimming pool.
Emeline Miller died at a hospital in Orange County, California, on Sunday, the day after paramedics tried unsuccessfully to revive her after the drowning incident.
In a video posted on social media, Emmy, as she was known, was being kissed on the cheek by her mother Morgan, a professional beach volleyball player, as she repeatedly said, “Hi Dada”.
One photo showed her covered in bubbles in a bath and another showed her smiling as she pushed two dolls in a pink pushchair.
“Never in a million years did we think we would experience a pain like this,” Miller said in the post. “Her love, her light, her spirit will never be forgotten. Our little girl loved life and lived it to its fullest every day.”
The death was under investigation, Orange County sheriff’s spokeswoman Carrie Braun said.
Paramedics were called to a home in Coto de Caza just before 6.30pm, said Captain Tony Bommarito of Orange County Fire Authority.
They tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate the girl and took her to accident and emergency, Bommarito said.
“They had no pulses the whole way,” Bommarito said. “It didn’t end well.”
The US Ski and Snowboard Team tweeted its condolences to Miller and his family.
Miller, 40, is the most decorated male US skier, with 33 World Cup wins, two overall titles, four world championships and six Olympic medals, including gold at the 2010 Vancouver Games in the super-combined.
At the 2014 Sochi games he was the oldest alpine skier, at 36, to win a medal. Despite his skill on skis, he has been known at times for eye-raising comments and behaviour, claiming he had raced in a World Cup event while still drunk from partying the night before.
Miller, who has three other children, asked for privacy for the family in his Instagram post.
The US ski team posted a message of sympathy for the family. It read: “It is with the utmost sadness that we learned today of the passing of @Millerbode’s daughter Emmy. The thoughts and prayers of everyone at US Ski & Snowboard and across the whole snowsports world are with Bode, his wife Morgan and their family at this time.”