JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is investigating a drowning after a 2-year-old child was reported missing and later found in a body of water on Monday in the Jamestown neighborhood, according to officials.
JSO has not confirmed what type of body of water the child was found in.
But a neighbor told News4JAX that the little boy was found in a pool.
Neighbors and family members had been searching for the child before the toddler was located near Elmar Road.
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue took the child to a hospital just after 2 p.m., and the child died, according to JSO.
JSO said the case did not meet the criteria for a homicide briefing, and the agency has not released additional details.
The tragedy is a painful reminder of a statewide danger as summer begins. The Florida Department of Health says Florida leads the country in drowning deaths for children ages 1 to 4. For that same age group, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in the state.
Safety experts warn drowning can happen quickly and silently — and the danger isn’t limited to swimming pools. Any place a child can reach water poses a risk.
How to protect your child
The Florida Department of Health recommends “layers of protection” to keep young children safe around water:
- Constant, active supervision — Designate one adult as a dedicated “water watcher” at all times
- Barriers — Install fences, self-latching gates, and door and pool alarms to alert adults if a child gets out
- Emergency preparedness — Learn CPR, keep a phone nearby, and call 911 immediately in an emergency