Children's Safety Zone

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) – The 10-month-old baby who was left in a bathtub was removed from life support Monday, according to officials with Tucson Police.

As a result of the child’s death, Zada Davis was arrested Tuesday with an added charge of second degree murder.

Winter Breeze Azure was found unconscious and not breathing in a bathtub full of water on June 12.

When detectives with the Dependent Child Unit arrived, they learned that Davis was caring for the baby, along with two other children.

Davis told police she had left the child in the bathtub with the water running, while she left the bathroom to do other things in the apartment at 3636 N. Campbell Ave.

After 10 minutes, Davis returned to the bathroom and found the tub overflowing with water, and the baby was floating.

A neighbor performed CPR on the child while waiting for emergency personnel to arrive.

The other two children in the apartment were not injured.

Davis was booked into Pima County Jail.

MESA, Ariz. – A little boy who was pulled from a pool during a birthday party is expected to survive.

It happened Monday at a home near Lindsay and Brown in Mesa.

Mesa Fire Capt. Forrest Smith says the boy was visiting a house for a birthday party. He somehow figured out how to get into the pool and an adult found him underwater.

The adult administered CPR and was able to get the child breathing again.

The boy was taken to Cardon Children’s Hospital and is expected to recover.

The teen boy pulled unconscious out of the Colorado River after floating downstream underwater for about 100 yards has been identified.

Junior de Jesus Salamanca, 17, is currently listed in critical condition at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

The near-drowning occurred at about 4:45 p.m. Wednesday when two of Salamanca’s younger siblings became distressed while swimming beneath the Ocean-to-Ocean Bridge, the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office reported.

Salamanca, who was swimming nearby, tried to rescue his young brother and sister, who were between the ages of 3 and 5.

He was able to reach the children, but as he was returning with them to the shore, he fell into a deep drop off at the north side of the Colorado River beneath the railroad bridge and disappeared under the surface. At that time, he lost his grip on the two children.

Mike Colberg had been swimming in the area and had stopped for a moment near the large rocks underneath the railroad bridge nearby when he became aware of the two children and swam to their rescue.

He was able to grab the young boy and bring him into a nearby cove. With the aid of a second man, both the boy and girl were taken to the opposite shore. Both children were uninjured.

Colberg had been unaware of Salamanca, who continued to float downstream at least 100 yards just beneath the surface.

Salamanca’s father began shouting for help to find his son. Two people standing on the southern shore beneath the Interstate 8 bridge spotted the teen beneath the water a short time later. They brought him ashore and began CPR while someone called 911.

Paramedics responded to the scene, where they began trying to revive the teen as he lay in the sand on the riverbank. They placed him in a gurney and continued chest compressions as they loaded him into the back of a Yuma Fire Department ambulance. He was then transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center before being flown by helicopter to Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

The incident has prompted YCSO to warn Yuma area residents about the dangers associated with swimming in natural waterways.

“River flows and depth can change on a day-to-day basis so don’t assume just because you were there one day that it will be the same the next,” said Lt. Darren Simmons.

“Watch small children closely and make sure they are wearing approved safety flotation devices.”

GLENDALE, AZ – It takes just seconds to lose track of your kids around water. A lesson a quick-thinking neighbor learned first hand after saving a 1-year-old drowning victim.

That hero, Ray Espinoza of Glendale, was honored for his bravery.

“She’s like my baby, my baby,” recalls Espinoza.

He described the horrifying day on July 13th, when 1-year-old Nevaeh was found face down in the backyard swimming pool with no pulse and not breathing.

“So I grabbed her and started doing CPR,” Espinoza said.

Espinoza, now 28 years old, was certified in CPR as a teenager. He said his lifesaving skills quickly kicked in to help the little girl whose name is Heaven spelled backwards.

“I knew she was going to be okay,” Espinoza smiled.

He’s Nevaeh’s neighbor and was walking by the Glendale home several weeks ago when he heard the child’s grandmother desperately screaming for help.

“It was just like an angel,” said Nevaeh’s grandmother Catherine Bruce. “He just took her out of my hands and he started to work on her.”

As fate would have it, Espinoza’s father couldn’t drive him to work that day so he was walking to the bus stop.

“All I could is scream. Just uncontrollable scream,” Bruce said.

Espinoza continued performing CPR until fire and ambulance crews arrived to assist him.

By the time Nevaeh was rushed to Phoenix Children’s Hospital she was breathing on her own.

On Tuesday, Glendale Fire Department presented Espinoza with the Lifesaving Award for helping to save Nevaeh.

“I’m going to hang this up,” Espinoza said while holding his certificate. “I think this is going to help me move on in life more.”

An honor that rescue crews hope will teach others a life saving lesson.

“Make sure that you provide adult supervision any time a child is around water,” urged Glendale Fire Department’s Chris Dechant.

PHOENIX –

A 3-year-old girl is recovering after nearly drowning in an apartment complex swimming pool and she’s alive all thanks to the quick actions of her cousin.

Firefighters say the girl was in the pool area with her family near 40th Street and Indian School Road.  She didn’t want to leave the pool, so she jumped in and tried to swim, but started to go under.  That’s when her cousin, who is a lifeguard, went to save her.

“Don’t get a false sense of security when there’s a lot of people around the pool,” said Sgt. Marty Nickel of the Phoenix Police Department.  “That’s when you lose track of the little ones.”

The child was taken to an area hospital and is expected to be okay.

No names were released in this case.

FOX 10 News – Phoenix, AZ | KSAZ-TV