3-year-old boy dies after being found unconscious in pool, Phoenix firefighters say
PHOENIX - A 3-year-old boy died after he was pulled from a swimming pool on Tuesday, Phoenix firefighters said.
The boy was found unconscious and not breathing at around 8:30 a.m. July 30 at a home near 64th Street and Cactus Road. Before firefighters arrived at the scene, CPR was performed on the boy before he was taken to a hospital.
"It is unknown how long the child was in the water," the Phoenix Fire Department said.
The victim was identified as Prince Cox.
Several children were at the home, which is used as a short-term rental property. Firefighters say there was no fence around the pool.
Phoenix Police say no foul play was suspected.
‘My heart really hurts’
Donnie Brull, a neighbor, says the incident may ignite a conversation about short-term rental property policies regarding pools and fences.
"That may be something that may be regulated in the coming future, especially for people coming from out of town, and they’re not aware and familiar," he said. "It’s something that will have to be educated and maybe even disclosed when being at these properties."
A woman who lives across the street said she is used to seeing people at the rental and hopes there is consideration made to install a pool fence.
"Accidents do happen, and they can get out easily, so I can’t judge for what other people should or shouldn't do," said neighbor Sara Waddell. "It’s just very tragic and my heart hurts for these family people that I don't even know, but my heart really hurts."
Phoenix Fire Capt. Todd Keller has some words of caution.
"Be cognizant of how many children. If you have eight children in the pool, maybe you should have one person for each child in the water. We don’t want to be the fun police but put your phone down, put your drinks down, put your food down, concentrate on the children," he said.
It's recommended to have a pool fence at least five feet high to prevent drownings.
Click here for pool safety tips from the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona.