President Bush Paid for Funeral of 6-Year-Old Drowning Victim
Netlore Archive: According to this email rumor, President Bush paid for the funeral of 6-year-old Sam Kettler, who drowned in a water tank a few miles from the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas in March 2004
Description: Email rumor
Circulating since: March 2004
Status: False
Email example contributed by E. Oldham, March 16, 2004:
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Hello Everyone. I just wanted to pass this information along to each of you so you know what a truly compassionate and caring man we have in President Bush. My first cousin, Shawn Kettler, and his wife, Suzanne, and daughter, Laramie, lost their 6 year old son, Sam, in a drowning accident this past Saturday (March 6th), outside Gatesville. They all live within a few miles of the President's place in Crawford TX. Sam and a young friend of his were walking around a tank when the mud gave way and Sam fell in the tank. The tank is a spring fed tank, and Sam was sucked under the water into a "sink hole" where the spring came into the tank. His little friend tried to get him out but was unable to reach him, so he ran about 200 yards to his house and told his grandmother. The grandmother called 911 then went to the tank, but was unable to even see Sam. Sam's father and a volunteer fireman arrived first and began diving into the tank but were unable to locate Sam (I believe they said the water was about 10 feet deep). The Deputy Sheriff that received the 911 call was at the entrance to President Bush's ranch when the call came in. He told the Secret Service agents at the gate what was happening and they, in turn, radioed the ranch house. President Bush told them to "Go - take all the men and equipment you need and just go". He also sent his personal physician and his helicopter over to the tank. Sam was finally located and pulled from the water by one of the Secret Service agents (I believe there were 5 agents there all total). There was a faint pulse but they could not revive little Sam. President Bush's doctor began working on him and they loaded him into the Presidential helicopter and took him to Hillcrest Hospital in Waco. The doctors there worked on him for awhile, but he had been under water for 45 minutes, so there was really no hope for his recovery. And, had he survived, he would never have been the same. Sam was truly a unique little boy who lived life to the fullest. And he loved the fact that "George Bush, the President" had chosen to live so close to his house. When the family went to the funeral home in Gatesville on Sunday to make the arrangements, they were told everything had been paid for by an anonymous donor. After much "detective" work, it is believed that President Bush is that anonymous donor. I just wanted all of you to hear this story so you know what a true gentleman our President is. And I ask that you pray for my family as they deal with this tragedy. And, lastly, please pray for our country and President Bush as he attempts to hold it all in place. Don't ever forget to tell everyone close to you and possibly, some of those not so close, how much you love them. Tell them everyday because life is short and very unpredictable. |
Analysis: Unfortunately, this rumor appends a false footnote to the tragically true story of the death of six-year-old Samuel Kettler, who drowned after falling into a water tank just a few miles from President G.W. Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas on March 6, 2004. According to news accounts, Secret Service agents and a special response team based at the president's ranch rushed to the scene to help rescue workers, but it was too late to save the first-grader, who was flown to Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center via Blackhawk helicopter and pronounced dead later that evening.
The email rumor claiming that President Bush paid anonymously for Sam Kettler's funeral began circulating about a week later and is baseless, according to an investigation by snopes.com. In a statement published on the Website, the manager of the funeral home which handled the burial services said direct costs were absorbed by the funeral home itself, per its longstanding policy in cases where a family has lost a child, and the indirect costs (cemetery lot, flowers and notices) were paid by a close family member, not President Bush.
Sources and further reading:
Boy, 6, Drowns Near Coryell City
Gatesville Messenger, 9 March 2004DepartmentSix-Year-Old Samuel Kettler Drowns Near Bush's Ranch
Clifton Record, 12 March 2004Final Passage
Urban Legends Reference Pages, 22 March 2004
Last updated: 03/22/04
