Children's Safety Zone

PHOENIX (CBS5) –

Authorities have recovered the body of a man who jumped from a 300-foot cliff at Saguaro Lake in the Tonto National Forest Sunday.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Officer Christopher Hegstrom said the body of Justin Otto Lee Anderson was found Friday in the area of Sandy Beach where he disappeared.

Multiple witnesses told authorities they saw Anderson hit the water on his back and never resurface around 3 p.m. Sunday.

Search helicopters from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and the Arizona Department of Public Safety flew over the area and authorities deployed an underwater search vehicle, which was in use for about one hour until water being released from Mormon Flat Dam was too strong to properly operate it anymore.

Law enforcement authorities said the search continued with the use of a drop camera that they say “is better suited for the environment Anderson is missing in.”

Yuma, Arizona – One response last week was for a 3 year old who drowned in a backyard pool. Children, 4 years of age and younger, represent the largest number of drowning victims and it is a reminder for anyone responsible for children to never leave them unsupervised around water. With temperatures beginning to approach or pass 100 degrees, people are starting to look to water recreation for relief. Arizona is consistently one of the states with the highest numbers of drowning cases.

You might expect that of California or Florida with many miles of beaches, but this just shows that it doesn’t take an ocean, it could just takes a few inches of water. Infants can drown in as little as one inch of water, and it can happen in “just a few seconds.”  Every year Arizona loses more than a classroom full of children to drowning. There are a few basic steps to reduce the risk of adding to these figures, we call it the ABCs of drowning prevention.

“A” is for Adult supervision. If children are around water, they need constant, responsible, undistracted, adult supervision. Designate a “Water Watcher” whose only responsibility is to watch the children. If that person has to leave the area, someone else takes over or everyone leaves the pool area with them.

“B” is for Barrier fencing. Every pool should be enclosed by a barrier fence at least 4 feet high. It should have a self closing, self latching gate. Pool toys should not be left in the pool, they attract children, and furniture should not be near the exterior fence where it can be used to crawl over.  Pool alarms are also added security.

“C” is for Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), learn how to perform CPR in the event that the unthinkable does happen. In addition, although we cannot “waterproof” our children, teach them to swim (the City of Yuma’s Parks and Recreation program has many great classes). First responders often hear “It was only a few seconds” or “I thought someone else was watching”.  Do all you can do to prevent drowning (www.preventdrownings.org provides some excellent tips) and have a fun and safe summer.

For more information, or to set up a class, call Mike Erfert at 928-373-4850.

MARANA, AZ – A woman who was swept away in a flooded southern Arizona wash during heavy monsoon rains was found dead Friday, authorities said.

Pima County sheriff’s officials said the body of 52-year-old Angelina Carrasco was recovered from her car, which was found upside down and partially submerged in a flooded wash north of Tucson.

Multiple law enforcement and fire agencies had searched by air and ground for hours for Carrasco, whose husband was injured in the incident.

Sheriff’s spokesman Tom Peine said deputies got a call from a motorist stuck in a wash early Friday. The man, who was able to get out, said he heard another man yelling for help and saying his legs were broken.

Rescuers in the community of Marana found that man on a sand bank surrounded by water around 6 a.m. He told them he had been there for hours but his wife had been swept away. The man in his 60s was taken to a hospital for treatment of a fractured pelvis, according to authorities.

Three other vehicles were found in a wash nearby, but the occupants were safe, Tucson TV station KVOA reported.

Meanwhile, several drivers had to be pulled from their cars by fire crews in the Phoenix suburbs of Goodyear, Mesa and Apache Junction.

Goodyear fire crews used a raft to rescue a man who was stranded atop his utility company truck in a flooded wash Friday evening.

The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings Friday morning for parts of Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, after up to 3 inches of rain fell in some areas.

A stretch of the U.S. 60 freeway in the area was inundated, with drivers having to cross flowing water and traffic backed up for more than a mile.

GOODYEAR, AZ – Fire officials say a 2-year-old boy who was found floating in a swimming pool earlier this week in Goodyear has died.

The drowning incident happened around 4 p.m. Tuesday at a home near Van Buren Street and Sarival Avenue.

Goodyear fire spokesman Russ Braden said the boy died Thursday morning.

A parent of the child found him in the pool, Goodyear police Lt. Scott Benson said.

The boy was not breathing on his own and was initially listed in critical condition when he was airlifted to a hospital.

Authorities said the drowning happened at his grandmother’s house after other children had just gotten home from school.

Everyone lost track of the boy, authorities said.

There was a pool fence, but it’s unclear if it was open or closed at the time.

They said they believe the child was under water for at least five minutes.

GLENDALE, AZ – Authorities say a 2-year-old girl is in critical condition Wednesday after she was found in a swimming pool in Glendale.

The incident happened around 12:30 p.m. near Northern and 109th avenues.

The girl’s mother noticed she was missing and searched their house, before finding the girl floating in the backyard pool face down, said Sgt. Brandon Jones with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.

After calling 911, the girl’s mother and grandmother started performing CPR as directed by the fire department, Jones said.

The girl was awake and crying before being airlifted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Jones said.

She has since been listed in critical condition.

Deputies said they believe the girl crawled out of the house through the doggie door. The swimming pool does not have a fence around it.

It’s unclear how long the girl was in the pool.