Child dies after drowning in Palo Alto pool
Child dies after drowning in Palo Alto pool
Tragedy touched a small Palo Alto community after a young child drowned over the holiday weekend. Two adults were also seriously injured in what police officials said was an unfortunate accident.
PALO ALTO, Calif. - Tragedy struck a small Palo Alto community after a young child drowned over the holiday weekend. Two adults were seriously injured in what police officials described as an unfortunate accident.
Palo Alto firefighters said they received a 911 call around 6 p.m. Sunday about three people drowning at a private pool in the 4100 block of Thain Way.
"This is a tough call. Anything involving children — it hits home for a lot of folks. We have a lot of young parents," said Palo Alto Fire Department Chief Kevin McNally.
He said a 7-year-old was in the pool at the Barron Square complex, comprised of 65 condominiums and townhomes near El Camino Real. The child was in distress, and two adults jumped in to attempt a rescue but were overwhelmed by the depth of the water.
"Apparently, there was another child on scene who possibly called for help. Not aware at this time how long that had been," McNally said.
First responders pulled the trio from the water. The child was taken to Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, and the two adults were taken to Stanford. The 7-year-old was pronounced dead, and the two adults are reported to be in critical condition.
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"If you're going to be with a kid near a pool, you have to make sure that they're going to be safe and that you're going to be safe," said Daniel Maxwell, a lecturer at the University of New Haven and a former member of the Greenwich, Connecticut, police dive team. "If they don't know how to swim, they really shouldn't be going anywhere near a pool."
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, nearly 400 children under the age of 15 die in swimming pool accidents each year. Three-quarters of those incidents happen at private pools.
"You should certainly only go to pools that have lifeguards. Unfortunately, so many of our hotel pools and private pools don't have a lifeguard," said Rachel Del Monte, chief operating officer at the YMCA Silicon Valley.
It's not known if the complex pool had a dedicated lifeguard or other person keeping watch.
Experts said tragic events like this highlight the need for everyone in or near the water to know how to swim.
"The most important part is learning to swim so that you can be safe," said Del Monte. Maxwell added, "Being safe around a pool comes with experience being around a pool. And I think that starts with, number one, knowing how to swim."
Officials stress that anyone who sees someone in distress in the water should remember "Reach, Throw, Go."
A potential rescuer should use an object such as a pole to reach out to the person in distress or throw them a flotation device. As a last resort, go into the water and attempt a rescue.
The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner will release the identity of the child once all family members are notified.