KISSIMMEE, Fla. – A 4-year-old boy drowned at a community pool in Kissimmee, according to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded just before 5 p.m. Sunday to 2730 Semicolon Avenue after reports of a child drowning.
The boy, visiting the area with his family from Georgia, became separated from them before bystanders pulled him from the water and performed CPR until emergency medical services arrived. He was transported to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, according to the sheriff’s office.
“What happened is that mom had three kids. Her younger child got her attention away from the four-year-old. The four-year-old slipped into the water in a matter of seconds and unfortunately did not survive this incident,” Osceola County Sheriff’s Office Director of Public Information & Community Relations Kim Montes said.
“Our hearts go out to the families. This is a heartbreaking time for them. The bystanders that tried to save this child with CPR. It’s another reminder for anybody to know about CPR, especially pediatric CPR, and what to do in the case of an emergency involving water.”
The resort where the boy drowned was The Cove East at Storey Lake Resort.
There is no lifeguard on duty its community pool, but management companies of the vacation homes do encourage water safety for guests.
Many will document, using time-stamped photos, that the pool fence at their vacation homes is installed and that they show that the fence is in good condition and that no furniture is next to the fence where a child could climb.
They also send guests water safety information and highly encourage guests to have a designated water watcher whenever children are in the pool to ensure safety.
Having a water watcher is a tactic Montes says the sheriff’s office also encourages everyone to use when around water.
“One person is in charge of watching the kids. They don’t go on the cell phone. They don’t drink. They don’t get distracted,” Montes said. “Even though a lot of these places have safety features put in place, there’s nothing more safe than having your eyes on children that are in the water at all times.”
The incident remains under investigation.
For more information on water safety, click here.