A girl drowned in her Plantation neighborhood on Sunday morning, the third child in South Florida to die from drowning within the past three weeks.
A man called 911 just after 10 a.m. Sunday to report finding his 4-year-old daughter face down in the lake behind their home in the 500 block of Northwest 107th Avenue, Plantation Police said.
The girl’s father performed CPR immediately after finding her, and Plantation Fire Rescue took her to Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale. She was later pronounced dead.
“Based on the information gathered thus far, investigators believe this to be a tragic accidental drowning,” the police department said.
The child was the third to drown in South Florida within the past three weeks.
On June 22, an 8-year-old boy drowned in Boynton Beach after he disappeared from his family home and was found motionless in a backyard swimming pool near his neighborhood, the police department previously said.
Days before that, a 4-year-old boy drowned in a backyard swimming pool in North Lauderdale.
Children between 1 and 4 die from drowning more than any other cause of death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Florida routinely ranks among the top in the nation for drowning deaths.
Water safety tips
Sign children up for swim classes. The Florida Department of Health statewide offers a swimming lesson voucher program for eligible families with children less than a year old and up to 17 years old.
Ensure layers of protection are in place at home pools, including supervision and physical barriers.
Learn CPR. Different age groups require different techniques. Classes are offered in Broward County through several local cities and fire departments, Broward Health, American Red Cross and the American Heart Association. Classes are offered in Palm Beach County through Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, American Red Cross and others.