THE B.C. Coroner's Service is investigating after a toddler drowned in a backyard pool in Deep Cove Monday evening.
The 18-month-old was at home on Fairway Place sometime in the afternoon when he apparently got away from his caregiver and wandered out of the house. After a frantic search, a woman at the home called police to report the boy missing.
A police dog unit arrived at the house within about 10 minutes, according to the RCMP. After speaking briefly with the woman, who said she had checked the entire property, including the pool, the officer went around back to see for himself and found the child face down in the water.
The officer jumped into the pool, pulled the unresponsive toddler out and performed CPR until paramedics arrived. The boy was rushed to Lions Gate Hospital, but doctors were unable to revive him. He was declared dead later that evening.
Some details of the case, including how long the child had been in the water and whether or not the pool gate was closed are still unclear, but police say they are not treating the investigation as criminal.
The tragic incident has renewed warnings from the RCMP for parents to watch children closely around private pools and to ensure the water is completely fenced off.
"If there's water in the pool, it has potential to be dangerous," said Cpl. Richard De Jong, a spokesman for the North Vancouver RCMP. "This is a parent's worst nightmare."
At least two similar incidents have been reported on the North Shore in the past six years.
In July 2006, a four-year-old boy died in hospital after falling into a pool in Horseshoe Bay, and in July 2010, a 19-month-old had a close call after being found face down in a pool on Nelson Avenue.
