PORT ST. LUCIE – The 20-month-old child who was found submerged in a family pool on May 19 in the 3200 block of Southwest Crumpacker Street, Port St. Lucie has died, Port St. Lucie Police confirmed on May 21.
Port St. Lucie Police officers responded to the home at about 9 p.m., May 19 to reports of a possible drowning. When they arrived, they found the girl’s mother giving her CPR, which she started after the father discovered the infant in the above-ground pool, according to police reports.
The child was taken by ambulance to Tradition Medical Center in Port St. Lucie, where she was stabilized before being airlifted to Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando. She died shortly after 7 p.m. May 20, according to police reports.
Preliminary investigation found that a 19-year-old family member reportedly opened the rear sliding glass door to let the family dogs outside and may have inadvertently left the door slightly ajar, according to police reports. At some point, the girl left the house unnoticed. It is unknown how long the child was unaccounted for before being discovered in the pool, according to police reports.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the child’s family, loved ones, first responders, medical personnel, and all those impacted by this heartbreaking tragedy,” the department said in a statement.
The department urges everyone to be extremely cautious with water safety, especially with summer approaching.
“Constant supervision, properly secured pools, alarms, self-latching gates, and early swim lessons can help prevent tragedies involving children. Drowning incidents can happen silently and within seconds. We encourage all parents and caregivers to take every possible precaution to help keep their loved ones safe around water,” the department said in a statement.