PHOENIX – A 4-year-old boy died after being found in a motel pool Saturday afternoon.
Phoenix Fire Department spokesman Larry Nunez said there were two families at the motel pool, located near 7th Street and the I-17.
There was a miscommunication about who was watching the kids and there were five total in the pool, according to Nunez.
A 13-year-old jumped in after 4-year-old boy, who was in the 8-foot deep end of the pool. He told ABC15 off-camera they were at the pool celebrating his birthday when they noticed the child was missing.
The child was transported to the hospital in critical condition, but later died.
MARICOPA, AZ – A 6-year-old boy has died after he was found submerged in the bathtub Christmas night.
Maricopa fire officials told ABC15 when the boy arrived at Cardon Children’s Medical Hospital in Mesa he was alive, but not responsive and not breathing on his own.
This happened just before 6:30 p.m. at a two-story home in Maricopa. Officials said Wednesday the boy died shortly after 7 p.m.
We’re told family members were home and the 6-year-old was found in the tub. He had reportedly been feeling ill beforehand.
He wasn’t breathing and he didn’t have a pulse when paramedics arrived at the home.
The drowning is under investigation, however officials say there are no suspicious circumstances.
TUCSON – We have a few weeks left in our Kristi’s Kids, News4 Tucson Lifesaver season. Since January 1, 2012, Pima County has seen one child drown in a bathtub. Another nine kids have nearly drowned.
One is too many so local experts are bringing the Water S.M.A.R.T. Babies program to town.
Created in Broward County, Florida where they’ve recorded up to 12 fatalities in recent years, pediatricians play a key role in saving swimmers’ lives. Along with other educational efforts, Broward County saw a 50% reduction in drownings of 5-year-olds and younger in one year after implementing S.M.A.R.T. Babies.
Dr. Julie Klein is a physician in the Pediatric Emergency Department at Tucson Medical Center. She’s treated many children who’ve nearly drowned.
“Part of what’s heartbreaking is that it is preventable.”
Dr. Klein is excited for Water S.M.A.R.T. Babies which stands for Safety Materials and Rescue Techniques.
Basically, pediatricians write a prescription for swim lessons before a child turns one. While in the past, doctors feared exposing babies to water would eliminate a natural fear of water, new research shows many children have a natural curiosity of water.
In drownings of 1 to 2-year-olds, most of them gained access to a back yard swimming pool without the adult being aware.
“I interpret that as showing that many young toddlers are curious about water,” says Dr. Klein.
The Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona (DPCA) is launching the program here.
“So basically what we want them to do at the 9 or 12 month well check is truly get in and go over this with the parent,” says Tracey Fejt, DPCA Secretary. “And the prescription is for water safety lessons.”
The parents also will receive information about all the layers of drowning prevention from the pediatrician at well baby checks.
Some think that’s what made the Florida program so successful.
“We can talk to people all day about what you need to do. But when it’s coming from a physician, it really makes a difference,” says Fejt.
Dr. Klein agrees. “Seeing something in writing on a prescription pad by the pediatrician that just really makes an impact.”
The idea is to teach a basic survival skill. If babies can learn to flip onto their backs and cry or yell for yelp, that could provide precious seconds for a rescue. Without being taught these skills, they typically sink to the bottom and wait for help.
EL MIRAGE, AZ – Police say a 1-year-old boy is in critical condition after a near-drowning Thursday afternoon in El Mirage.
Kim Walden with El Mirage police said the boy was home with his grandmother in the backyard near Cactus and El Mirage roads.
The grandmother went into the house to check on something on the stove and came back outside to find the boy face down in the swimming pool, Walden said.
He had a pulse and was spitting up water, Walden said.
Air15 video showed crews airlifting the boy to a nearby hospital.
There was a stroller in the pool, but there’s no word on why that was there.
Walden said the circumstances surrounding this incident are under investigation.
PHOENIX — Phoenix police sent the dive team out to a canal near 36th Street and Camelback Sunday morning after a dead body was found in the water.
Authorities said the body was discovered just before 10 a.m. by someone who was near the canal.
The body was fully clothed, but police don’t know how long it was in the water.
“There was no indications from our earlier shifts that there was an issue or problem,” said Lt. Stan Hoover. “It does look like this body has been in the water for quite some time and speaking with some SRP representatives it may have moved this far down as far away as 56th street.”
Police have not said if the body is that of a man or a woman, or how old the person may have been.
The body has been taken to the medical examiner’s office for further investigation.
A 41-year-old man drowned in the Salt River in Mesa Saturday.
Zane Hill of Phoenix went with a group of friends who chose to float down the river without tubes, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said.
According to MCSO, Hill and his girlfriend were swimming across the river and for some reason, he went under and never resurfaced.
“I think if people were to take the precautionary measures of being prepared coming out with tubes, and use sun tan lotion, drink water, eat fresh vegetables and fruits, I think you’re going to be a lot better off,” said MCSO’s Chris Hegstrom.
Every Labor Day weekend, the Salt River expects between 5,000 to 7,000 floaters daily.
MESA, AZ – It has been a rough Labor Day weekend, as far as drowning-related accidents are concerned. Two out of four children have died in separate drowning-related incidents.
Authorities reported a drowning in Mesa and in Buckeye over the weekend. Both involved backyard pools.
In Mesa, a 3-year old was found in the water near Alma School Road and Southern Avenue.
In Buckeye, a 5-year old drowned in the backyard pool during a party. Authorities said the people there lost track of the child and it was an accident.
There were also two close calls.
In Phoenix, a 10-year old was rushed to the hospital Saturday. The child was in the pool with other children during a birthday party. It’s unclear what caused the child to sink underwater. At last check, the child was expected to survive.
In Mesa, a 2-year old almost drowned in a backyard spa. Authorities say the child was breathing at last check.
Experts encourage everyone to learn CPR. Every second counts during an emergency. They also suggest keeping toys and colorful items out of the water to avoid attracting children.
Experts also remind us that nothing takes the place of your eyes. Pool fences and swim lessons are preventative but not fool-proof. They say to keep a close eye on children around water.
SAN TAN VALLEY, AZ – Authorities say a 1-year-old girl has died after she was found in a swimming pool Tuesday afternoon in San Tan Valley.
Colin Williams with the Rural/Metro Fire Department said the girl was in the swimming pool for an unknown amount of time at a home near Skyline Drive and Gary Road.
Authorities said the backdoor to the house was left open and the child went in the backyard and fell into the pool.
The grandmother came out a short time later and discovered her granddaughter still in the pool. The grandmother jumped into the pool, pulled the child out and performed CPR on her until emergency crews arrived.
The child was transported to a local hospital and then transported by air ambulance to Cardon Children’s Hospital in Mesa where she later died.
