3-year-old girl drowns in Irvine community pool
A 3-year-old girl drowned in a community pool in Irvine on Thursday, marking the fourth drowning of a child in Orange County in two weeks.
“It’s imperative people remember that children drown without a sound,” said Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Kris Concepcion. “Everyone needs to watch the water, especially when there are children around.”
On Saturday, 2-year-old Johan Castaneda was found in a residential pool in Yorba Linda, according to the Orange County coroner. Four days earlier, 2-year-old Omar Abo-Shadi was found in a spa at home in Placentia. Two weeks ago, 3-year-old Xavier Ergueta drowned at a beach club in Rancho Santa Margarita.
In the latest case, the 3-year-old was being watched by a caregiver at Stone Creek Swim Club in Irvine when she disappeared.
The caregiver and lifeguards searched for about 10 minutes before they found the child in a spa, Concepcion said.
Irvine police and firefighters responded and attempted CPR. The girl was taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, where she was pronounced dead. Her name has not yet been released.
When children are around water, at least one person should be assigned to monitor them, Concepcion said.
That person should be “constantly watching the water and watching the kids to make sure they’re safe,” he said.
Esquivel writes for the Los Angeles Times.