Volusia County, Fla. — The family of Nicole Grayson, a DeLand mother of six who died Saturday after jumping into the St. Johns River to save her 4-year-old son, is raising safety concerns about Ed Stone Park.
Flowers have been placed along the fence at the park, where several people stopped to pay tribute to the 43-year-old mother.
Deputies said Grayson’s son fell into the river while trying to retrieve an object he had dropped over a wooden fence. Grayson jumped in to save him. The boy was pulled from the water unharmed, but Grayson later died at a hospital.
“I hope that you know when the family members see them, they appreciate it, and I know they will,” Cindy Cory said. “If it puts a smile on their faces, that’s what we want. Lift them up.”
Grayson’s family told Eyewitness News that they are concerned there were not enough safety measures near the section of fence where the boy fell.
A county spokesperson told Channel 9 that the fence’s design was a direct response to requests from community members who wanted it lowered to improve riverfront access for people with mobility issues.
The county did not specifically address wheelchair access. Channel 9 observed a steep drop-off from the sidewalk and large tree roots surrounding the bench, conditions that could make the area difficult to navigate for someone using a wheelchair, walker or cane.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said that after the boy fell, a boater arrived and threw life jackets to Grayson and her son.
Grayson struggled to keep her son above water as she began going underwater, deputies said. The boater pulled the boy safely aboard.
Another person jumped into the river, helped get Grayson onto the boat and performed CPR until emergency crews arrived. Grayson was taken to a hospital, where she died.
Grayson’s family declined an on-camera interview but said they want her remembered as a wonderful mother who would have done anything for her children.
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