Children's Safety Zone

Chandler fire fighters are seeking volunteers to join them in adoor-to-door campaign March 26 to pass out flyers in an effort toincrease safety around water and prevent tragic incidents.

The goal of the campaign – from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. that Saturday -is to educate residents about the importance of careful supervisionof children around water. It’s in response to a recent high numberof water-related incidents involving infants and small children inChandler.

Since 2008, Chandler has had 37 water-related incidents andsince Dec. 26, has had five including one that resulted in afatality in February, according to information from the ChandlerFire Department. Of the nine water-related incidents last year,five required CPR.

Chandler fire personnel are urging parents to lock the gates offences around pools, and when there are activities at homeinvolving water to constantly supervise kids.

“The majority of our drowning calls are to good homes with goodparents, where a combination of circumstances and opportunity cometogether to create a tragic event,” said battalion chief Val GaleJr. “Unfortunately, we have experienced more of these types ofcalls than normal recently and want to make sure we get the messageout: Secure water sources, supervise our children, teach thechildren to swim and learn CPR.”

Chandler Fire Chief Jeff Clark set an ambitious goal of sharingthe message with every household in the city. He is appealing toall segments of the community to assist in this effort, includingscouting groups, churches, businesses, service clubs and otherorganizations.

“We are counting on the good people of Chandler to step up andmake a difference,” Clark said.

Anyone who wishes to participate in the neighborhood walksshould call (480) 782-2122 prior to March 26. Volunteers mustprovide their own transportation to the neighborhood they areassigned.

Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or adult.

Individuals or groups that cannot participate on March 26 butwould still like to help are asked to call (480) 782-2122. ChandlerFire Department staff will assign a neighborhood and provide thematerials noted above. The volunteers can then walk thatneighborhood at their convenience.

Additional water safety tips and drowning prevention informationis available on the fire department website atwww.chandleraz.gov/fire.

A 6-year-old boy who was pulled from a Gilbert canal Saturday evening has died, according to officials.

Gilbert police Sgt. William Balafas said Brenan Thomson was pronounced dead at Cardon Children’s Hospital 8:20 p.m. Saturday after he and his younger brother were pulled from the Roosevelt Water Conservation District Canal several hours earlier.

Thomson’s 5-year-old brother, Rylan was also transported to the Mesa hospital and is expected to be OK, according to Balafas.

Mike Connor, with the Gilbert Fire Department, said the two boys went for a bike ride and when they didn’t return for quite some time, their father went to look for them and called police for help around 5:30 p.m.

Their bicycles were found along the canal bank near Pecos and Recker roads and Gilbert firefighters were called to help with the search.

Mike Bunting, a neighbor who lives near the canal, tells ABC15 he heard the boys’ cries for help and spotted them in the water.

“I don’t think they could get out of there. I couldn’t get out of there,” said Bunting, who helped to pull Rylan from the water and also found Brenan’s body upstream. “It was just surreal.”

It is unknown exactly how long the brothers had been in the canal.

“Can’t stop thinking about it. I just feel for the family,” said Bunting’s wife, Denise.

Balafas said an investigation into the incident is ongoing, which is standard practice for drowning cases.

PHOENIX – A 5-year-old boy is dead after drowning in a north Phoenix pool early Saturday.

Scott Walker with the Phoenix Fire Department said fire crews responded to a home near 40th Street and Greenway Road around 4 a.m.

Walker said it was reported that a 5-year-old boy and his father were visiting the father’s brother.

The men had put the boy to sleep and then stayed up talking, Walker said.

They reportedly went to check on the boy around 4 a.m., but did not find him in bed and searched for him.

They found the boy in the backyard pool, pulled him from the water and called 911, Walker said.

Firefighters transported the boy to Paradise Valley Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Walker said there were no barriers around the pool.

“The homes are older out here and may have been built before those requirements were in place,” he said. “Regardless of whether it is a requirement we want you to have the barriers in place. It is your responsibility that something like this doesn’t happen.”

Tony Bohannon who lives next door said the home is owned by a firefighter who was out of town for several weeks with his family.

He said he is heartbroken. The loss hits him especially hard since he lost his 3-year-old niece to a drowning years ago.

“When you see that tiny casket and you know the guilt and suffering the family will go through,” he said. “You hear ‘watch your kids around water’ and it is not a cliche, it is real.”

Walker said that it is a tragic reminder that pool safety for kids is a multi-layered strategy. He stresses swim lessons, having pool fences, and adult supervision.

He also said that it is a sad wake-up call of the danger of pools for people visiting the Valley from areas where pools are less common.

QUEEN CREEK, AZ – An 8-month-old girl who was found floating face down in a bathtub at a Queen Creek home Wednesday has died, according to officials.

Pinal County Sheriff’s spokesman Elias Johnson said Chevelle Schettler was pronounced legally dead Thursday afternoon at Cardon Children’s Medical Center in Mesa.

Chevelle was put on life support after arriving at the hospital Wednesday afternoon. Johnson explained doctors said the young girl showed no signs of brain activity overnight.

Johnson said Patreesa Schettler told deputies she was giving her daughter a bath and turned around to get a towel, and when she turned back around found the infant face down in the water.

The mother grabbed Chevelle and ran to a neighbor’s house for help with CPR.

Chevelle was taken by ground ambulance to Banner Ironwood Medical Center and from there she was airlifted to Cardon Children’s Hospital.

Johnson said Schettler’s toddler-aged son was also home in a separate room. Their father was at work at the time.

The case is still under investigation by authorities, Johnson said.

A 3-year-old boy is in critical condition after he was found at the bottom of a Mesa pool Thursday evening, officials said on Friday.

The boy was found at about 5:30 p.m. in the 3000 block of South Del Rancho, according to the Mesa Fire Department. The boy was treated at the scene and then taken to Banner Desert Hospital.

When the boy arrived at the hospital, his heart was beating and he was breathing but he was not conscious.

There were apparently 12 adults at the home at the time of the incident, but fire officials said they did not know whether the boy’s parents were among them.

Check back with azcentral.com for updates.