PHOENIX — A 2-year-old girl died Saturday afternoon after being pulled from a backyard pool in west Phoenix, officials said.
Firefighters with the Phoenix Fire Department responded to a drowning call at a home near West Roma Avenue and North 101st Avenue just before 9 a.m. on Saturday.
According to early reports, crews found that the girl was unconscious and not breathing after being pulled from the pool. Firefighters took over CPR and advanced lifesaving measures.
Officials said it is unknown how long the little girl was in the pool.
The little girl was transported to a local hospital in extremely critical condition, but sadly did not survive.
The details of how the child got into the pool and the circumstances around her drowning are still under investigation.
This is the first of two drowning calls involving young children Saturday.
Around 3:25 p.m., a 2-year-old boy was transported to the hospital in stable condition after being pulled from Kiwanis Lake in Tempe.
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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.
