2-year-old drowns in pond while playing near Florida home, cops say. ‘Horrible tragedy’
A 2-year-old girl drowned in a pond after she went outside to play in Florida, officials said.
The toddler was with a 4-year-old when she reportedly disappeared. During a search, the missing girl’s mom ran to a nearby pond and found her daughter face down in the water, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
“The child was transported to HCA Putnam Hospital,” deputies wrote in a news release. “Despite efforts from first responders and medical staff, the child was unable to be resuscitated.”
Officials responded to the drowning call on Tuesday, June 21. While at the scene, deputies reported finding the mom with her daughter, who was “unconscious next to a pond.”
“I think you don’t really think it’s possible for this to happen to your child, you know, and when you hear about something happening so close to you it makes it more surreal,” Jordan Cowen, a mom living in the area, told WJXT.
The missing girl was discovered off State Road 20, about a half-mile from the Hollister-area home where her mom noticed she was gone.
“The mother told deputies she was inside a residence on Teddy Lane while the girl was outside playing with a 4-year-old child,” the sheriff’s office wrote. “The mother said the children were playing for ‘about 10 minutes’ when the adults realized they were missing.”
An investigation into the drowning was ongoing as of June 22. In the meantime, officials in the county roughly 60 miles southwest of Jacksonville have urged people to be cautious near the water.
“This is a horrible tragedy and our hearts grieve with the family at a life gone too soon,” Sheriff H.D. ‘Gator’ DeLoach said in the release. “With summer in full swing, we as family, friends and neighbors must be vigilant in watching our kids around water.”
This story was originally published June 23, 2022 at 10:25 AM with the headline "2-year-old drowns in pond while playing near Florida home, cops say. ‘Horrible tragedy’."
