JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is investigating the drowning of a 2-year-old girl that happened Friday afternoon on the Westside.
Police were called around noon to a home in the 5200 block of Quan Drive, which is off Cassat Avenue.
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The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department also responded, and they learned that the girl was found unconscious in the pool.
The child was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Suzette Miley-Pearson lives nearby and says she is devastated for the family.
“I just want to give them hugs and let them know that we’re truly sorry for them, for their loss, especially for their child,” Miley-Pearson said. “That is sad, and very very heartbreaking. I feel so sorry for that family, for that little kid that apparently had to have witnessed it.”
JSO homicide investigator, Joshua Catir said there was one parent and a couple of children outside. He adds they are still investigating what happened but says there are currently no pending charges at this time.
“Well, it is summertime and kids like to play in the water like said I can’t speak on the behalf we’re still conducting this investigation,” Catir said. “All I can tell you is just monitor your children when they’re outside. Don’t think somebody else is doing it monitoring yourself.”
According to CDC, the U.S. has more than 4,000 fatal drownings every year, and children account for one-fourth of that number.
Miley-Pearson says after her close encounter with her five-year-old grandson drowning, she always makes sure to have a floatie for him.
“And I had to jump in to save him,” Miley-Pearson said. “All you could hear was spitting water. So, after that, he always talks about when he drowned, and he almost died.”
CDC reports children ages 1–4 have the highest drowning rates.
Jessica Winberry is the prevention coordinator for Safe Kids Northeast Florida. She says it kids are fast, so it’s important to have multiple layers of protection.
“So that may be having door and window alarms, having an isolation fence around this specific pool or hot tub, alarm on that pool,” Winberry said. “As many things as you can possibly have that way. That way, if your child goes missing, you at least have a few minutes to kind of wonder where they are before maybe, you know, they reach that water.”
Teaching your child how to swim is another way to protect them. Winberry adds, when kids drown, they are usually silent.
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JSO’s Homicide and Crime Scene Units are investigating and detectives are talking to family members to determine what led to the incident.
Anyone who has any information is asked to call JSO’s non-emergency number (904) 630-0500. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call CrimeStoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.
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