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No fences, no warning signs at city-owned retention pond in Spring Park where 4-year-old boy drowned

Mayor Deegan calls incident heartbreaking, says city will work to improve safety at retention ponds

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 4-year-old boy died Sunday night after drowning in a pond in the Spring Park neighborhood.

According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, it happened around 7:30 p.m. on Gerard Avenue. Police said family members removed the child from the pond and no foul play is suspected.

In the past two years, some city leaders have been focusing attention on these ponds and trying to make them safer.

RELATED: City looks into retention ponds without fencing after boy’s death, state regulators reinspect

News4JAX went to the pond where the boy died and found there are no fences and no signs.

It’s a city-owned retention pond with benches and picnic tables and it’s a place that’s inviting and something kids might be attracted to.

Neighbors said the pond has not been maintained.

“It’s not, like a safe area. It’s not. It’s not. There are no signs or anything to let people know to watch and be careful,” said resident Ashley Blunt.

In 2021, News4JAX started reporting on the problems surrounding the 240 city-maintained retention ponds after three children drowned in separate incidents.

MORE: Complaints show concerns over safety of Jacksonville retention ponds

It was then that former Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry tweeted he is ordering his administration to allow natural growth around retention ponds to help make them safer and less accessible to children.

It’s unclear now if that is actually happening.

Council member Ju’Coby Pittman is leading a charge for changes. She said the city has been able to do some work by alerting the public in the past but she said she is pushing the new administration to do more.

“I did make a request to see if we can continue the funding for this campaign because we feel that it was a priority. And I was advised that they would put it, you know, in the budget for Mayor Deegan to consider,” Pittman told News4JAX.

Right now, no new regulations have been put into place. Neighbors said this latest drowning shows more attention needs happen to make sure all areas of Jacksonville are safe.

“Even though this isn’t like the most prettied-up area like Riverside or just over the bridge, where there’s tons of foot traffic and people with better income, it doesn’t mean that you can let a small street like this be not checked on, not viewed,” Blunt said.

For now, this is the start of the summer season and there’s really concern about accidents like this happening. It’s something the city council is worried about and also the mayor’s office is worried about.

“My heart breaks for the family of the young child lost in this tragic accident,” Deegan wrote in a statement to News4JAX. “While the City of Jacksonville has taken measures to implement natural barriers and raise awareness about the hazards of retention ponds, we will redouble our efforts to prevent future tragedies. I urge our citizens to learn more at pondsafetyjax.com.”


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