Children's Safety Zone

TUCSON – A 10-month old girl is in critical condition after nearly drowning in a bathtub this afternoon – the woman who was watching her has been charged with Child Abuse.

Tucson Fire and Tucson Police responded to an apartment in the 3600 block of north Campbell Avenue at about 2:45 p.m. Tuesday afternoon after a 10-month old girl was found unconscious and not breathing in a bathtub full of water. TFD personnel immediately performed CPR and rushed the child to a local hospital.

The child remains in critical condition in the hospital.

Upon investigation, detectives from TPD’s Dependent Child Unit learned that 27-year-old Zada Davis was caring for the baby, as well as her 7-year-old child, and another 8-month old baby.

Davis put the baby in the bathtub sometime between 2 p.m, and 2:30 p.m., leaving the water running with toys in the tub, TPD officials state. She then began doing other things around the house, leaving the child alone in the bathroom. After about 10 minutes, Davis returned and found the bathtub overflowing, with the child floating in the water.

Davis pulled the baby out of the tub and called 911, and a neighbor performed CPR until Tucson Fire personnel arrived. The other children in the house were not involved in the incident.

As a result of the investigation, Davis was arrested and charged with one count of felony Child Abuse and booked into Pima County Jail.

GILBERT, AZ – A 5-year-old New Mexico boy has died after being pulled from a community pool in the Phoenix suburb of Gilbert.

Gilbert Fire spokesman Brian Ruffentine said the child was found in the main pool at the Val Vista Lakes Clubhouse near Baseline and Val Vista roads.

Gilbert police said Sunday that 5-year-old Clayden Hammond was with his older brother and grandmother at the pool when he was found unconscious Saturday.

Ruffentine said it was unknown how long the boy had been in the water.

Adults at the scene started CPR before firefighters arrived.

He was taken to a local hospital in critical condition and taken off life support overnight.

It’s unclear how the boy drowned in the pool, which was filled with other families.

Clayden, his brother and their parents were visiting the Phoenix area from New Mexico.

Police did not know where in New Mexico they were from.

A 4-year-old boy had a close call in a community pool in Maricopa mid-afternoon Sunday.

The unidentified boy was swimming with family members in the Villages subdivision near John Wayne Parkway and Smith Enke Road when he began to struggle.

“He went under and took a couple of big gulps of water, and family members pulled him out of the pool,” said Jon Sheaffer, a firefighter and spokesman with the Maricopa Fire Department.

Family members began CPR, and the boy coughed and vomited. He was taken to Cardon Children’s Medical Center in Mesa to be checked out as a precaution.

“It was fortunate, not necessarily that it happened, but that his family members were keeping an eye on him, or else it could have been tragic,” Sheaffer said.

Maricopa firefighters go into schools to deliver messages about fire and water safety.

“Whether that program had an impact, I can’t say … but it brings awareness,” Sheaffer said.

“Even if it’s a matter of seconds, keep your eyes on your little ones and other people’s little ones.”

PEORIA, AZ – Authorities said they have found the body of a man who drowned at Lake Pleasant Saturday.

The man went missing after he and two other men stole two canoes from the Maricopa County Flood District.

Peoria police spokesman Jay Davies said the three men were out at the lake Saturday when they stole the canoes.

One man got into a canoe by himself and somehow fell out and the other two jumped out of the second canoe into the water after him.

Davies said there was a struggle among the three men, and the man who had fallen into the lake went under water and did not resurface.

Police started searching for the man Saturday night, but did not find his body until Sunday morning.

The other two men Edwardo Mercado, and Julian Tamayo were able to swim to shore and were detained by people from a private lodge nearby until police arrived.

The two men were taken to a local hospital for dehydration.

Davies said both men were from El Mirage, one 20 years old and the other 26.

They were taken into custody and possibly face theft or burglary and trespassing charges, according to Davies.

Davies said an investigation continues into whether this was an accidental drowning or a possible homicide.

GOLD CANYON, AZ – Authorities say a 3-year-old boy who was pulled out of a swimming pool Monday in Gold Canyon has died.

“I just can’t believe he’s gone,” the boy’s grandmother, Beth Sutton said.

According to Pinal County Sheriff’s spokesman Elias Johnson, deputies responded to a drowning call around 5 p.m. Monday on the 17000 block of  E. Paseo del Canto Street.

When crews arrived, they found the boy’s 27-year-old father performing CPR on him.

The child was blue in color and was not responsive.

He was transported to Arizona Regional Hospital by the Apache Junction Fire Department where doctors were able to establish a faint pulse.

The child was then flown to Cardon Children’s Medical Center in Mesa where he was in extremely critical condition.

The boy passed away around 1:15 a.m. Wednesday, according to Johnson.

The child’s grandmother said the boy and his father had been living at their home for nearly a year.

“Watch your babies. You have to have a minimum of one set of eyes on them at all times,” Sutton said.

The child was outside with a Labrador Retriever when he somehow fell into the water.

“We’ll never know exactly what happened,” Sutton said.

Deputies said there is a protective safety fence around the pool, but the entrance was left open.

The father claims he was away for approximately two minutes.

“Don’t walk by an open gate to your pool and say I’ll just be a minute. Fix it. Close it,” the boy’s grandfather, Tom Sutton advised other parents and grandparents.