Family copes with pain after son drowns in canal

MIAMI (WSVN) -- A mother is in a coma at the hospital unaware that her oldest son died after their car lost control and plunged into a canal with her two other children inside.

Three days after Eddie Zabaleta's son was killed in the horrific car accident that also left his wife in a coma, he has returned to work as a pool cleaner at the exclusive Ocean Reef Club.

The devastated father said he needs to work to pay for 8-year-old Ricardo's funeral. Ricardo was autistic and stayed strapped to the seat after his mother Lisa Hooshing had an asthma attack while driving.

Hooshing lost control of the car and crashed into the canal in Homestead Saturday. Her 11-year-old daughter Nisha jumped out just in time but was left feeling guilty that she couldn't save her brother. "She told me she's never going to eat again and when she told me that I started to realize that she's really suffering," said Zabaleta.

Bystanders managed to bring 3-year-old Joshua to safety, but it took Miami-Dade Fire Rescue divers to bring up Ricardo and his mother. Ricardo died minutes later. "I did research on autistic kids, and I read that someone wrote before that they are like little angels, innocent little angels here in this world," said Zabaleta. "You know, maybe he came here just, you know, for a short period of time."

Zabaleta prays for a miracle at his wife's bedside. "She looks better, we're not getting any response," he said. "It's like mixed emotions, and it could've been worse. That's the one thing to give thanks for."

Family friends and co-workers have gathered thousands of dollars to help the father.

For more donations:

Pentecostal of Homestead Church
(305) 245-9126

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