JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – News4JAX confirmed Monday that an 11-year-old girl found facedown in a swimming pool at Madelyn Oaks Apartments Wednesday night has died.
According to a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office report, a woman pulled the girl out of the pool and another woman started chest compressions. A third woman told police she saw the girl and her older brother playing in the pool.
Recommended Videos
The police report indicates the older brother appeared to be diagnosed with a mental disability. He told police someone pushed them into the pool.
The children’s mother said she didn’t know her kids were at the pool, according to the police report. Wolfson’s Children’s Hospital confirmed to News4JAX Monday that the child died as a result of drowning.
RELATED: Families need to be aware of the hidden drowning dangers for kids
Last month, a toddler was pulled from a retention pond at the same apartment complex and was hospitalized in critical condition. Wolfson reports that the 1-year-old girl is improving and is now listed in serious condition.
The girl was rescued by an officer who jumped in and pulled the child out of the pond. A maintenance man also helped rescue the toddler.
“They were able to do like teamwork. She was able to give the baby to the maintenance guy and now she’s trying to help herself get out of there because she got on her safety gear, her duty belt, stuff like that,” the neighbor said. “She did an amazing job like doing what she could do.”
The officer began CPR until paramedics arrived and the child was taken to the hospital.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports child drownings remained high last year, with near-drowning injuries spiking 17%.
The commission says the vast majority of children who drown are under the age of 5. It says caregivers should never leave a child unattended in or near water, learn to swim yourself, learn how to do CPR, and teach your kids to swim and how to get to air if they fall in the water.