Maddie Watson, the 17-year-old daughter of actress Jamie Lynn Spears, has spoken publicly for the first time about the near-fatal ATV accident that changed her life when she was just 8 years old.
In a YouTube video uploaded last Tuesday (August 12), Maddie shared stories of various injuries she’s suffered over the years, but one moment in particular stood out: a casual yet painful reference to the 2017 crash that left her in a coma.
Maddie Watson, the daughter of Jamie Lynn Spears, broke her silence about the accident that almost took her life
Image credits: jamielynnspears
“I was in a coma, and I came back to life, and I’m very blessed,” Maddie said in the video. “So yeah, I’ve just been very accident-prone. I swear my parents are amazing and they did not do anything to me.”
The incident, which occurred on the family’s property in Louisiana, made national headlines at the time. Maddie had been riding a Polaris ATV when it flipped into a pond and trapped her underwater.
Despite desperate attempts by family members to free her, Maddie remained submerged and unresponsive for several minutes before being sent to a nearby hospital.
Image credits: jamielynnspears
Following the release of her daughter’s video, Jamie Lynn reposted the clip to her own social media the next day, taking the chance to praise her daughter for her courage in revisiting such a deeply traumatic chapter of her life.
“What was supposed to be a fun way to document her senior year on YouTube has now turned into a way for her to share the not so fun parts of life too,” Spears wrote.
Image credits: maddie watson/YouTube
“You can work so hard, and do everything right, yet still face adversity, no matter what path you’re on in life. You can’t control everything that happens to you, but you can decide how you react to what happens to you.”
Image credits: jamielynnspears
“I’m so proud of this kid,” Spears added, seeing in Maddie an example of resilience and positivity.
“She never lets anything or anyone sit her down, and sharing her journey through it all hopefully inspires others to never stop going hard for what they want out of life.”
After her entire family tried, and failed, to save Maddie, Jamie Lynn was convinced that she had lost her daughter
Image credits: jamielynnspears
Despite her daughter ultimately surviving, Jamie Lynn Spears has described the experience as one that left her with the same emotional trauma as losing a child.
In a late 2023 interview, she recalled the horrifying moments after the ATV crash when, after trying everything in her power to save her daughter, she was briefly convinced that Maddie was gone.
Image credits: I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
“I almost lost my oldest daughter. She drowned and we couldn’t save her. We tried really hard. She was trapped under a little side-by-side that we rode around our pond,” Spears recounted.
“My father-in-law, my mother-in-law, me and my husband, we ran to jump in to save her and you kind of… At that moment you think, ‘This is not real. She’s going to pop up, this isn’t real,’” she continued.
Image credits: jamielynnspears
“I could feel her arm, and I’m jerking it, I couldn’t get her up because it’s a pretty heavy machine. At that moment you think, you know logically she’s been underwater too long…”
A first responder arrived at the scene just as the ATV was being dragged out of the pond.
He entered the water, lifted Maddie from under the side-by-side, and laid her next to her mother. Maddie was unresponsive, with a swollen, blue-hued face. The EMT immediately began administering CPR.
Maddie survived with no neurological damage, and is currently a healthy YouTuber and college athlete
Image credits: jamielynnspears
Ever since that day, February 5 has held special significance for the family: the day they witnessed a miracle.
In early 2024, Spears took to Instagram to mark what she calls their “miracle anniversary,” sharing photos from the hospital and reflecting on the years since.
“Today is our Miracle Anniversary! Every year that passes and I watch my daughter grow up, the more I realize how very blessed we are, and never want to take that for granted,” she wrote.
Image credits: maddie2watson
The actress also took a moment to thank the healthcare workers who helped save Maddie’s life and paid tribute to Father Mark, a spiritual presence who supported the family through their darkest hour.
“Thinking of Father Mark today, although he is in heaven now, he was always like an angel on earth for us, especially on this day 7 years ago,” she added.
And a miracle it was. Despite the gravity of the accident, and being subsequently placed on a ventilator while she regained consciousness, Maddie showed no signs of neurological injury.
Nowadays, a healthy Maddie runs her own YouTube channel. In it she posts videos about her life, family, and friends, as well as one of her main passions: college softball.
“Stay strong.” Netizens congratulated Maddie for her resilience and honesty
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