SEDONA, Ariz. — A 1-year-old child has died after the baby was found unresponsive Saturday evening in a swimming pool in Village of Oak Creek, located south of Sedona.
The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said the family was inside the residence when they noticed the baby had been missing for several minutes. The father noticed a door to the backyard was open and found the baby in the pool, which didn't have a fence around it.
First-responders performed life-saving procedures on the baby but the child was pronounced deceased at a hospital in Cottonwood.
Drowning Prevention Tips:
Drowning is the leading cause of death for children between ages 1-4 aside from birth defects, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Three children die every day as a result of drowning. Here are some tips from the CDC on how to protect children around water:
Learn life-saving skills.
Everyone should know the basics of swimming (floating, moving through the water) and CPR.
Fence it off.
Install a four–sided isolation fence, with self–closing and self–latching gates, around backyard swimming pools. This can help keep children away from the area when they aren’t supposed to be swimming. Pool fences should be completely separate the house and play area from the pool.
Life jackets are a must.
Make sure kids wear life jackets in and around natural bodies of water, such as lakes or the ocean, even if they know how to swim. Life jackets can be used in and around pools for weaker swimmers too.
Keep a close watch
When kids are in or near water (including bathtubs), closely supervise them at all times. Because drowning happens quickly and quietly, adults watching kids in or near water should avoid distracting activities like reading books, talking on the phone, or using alcohol and drugs.
UP TO SPEED
