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PHOENIX - A Phoenix area family is grieving over an unthinkable event: the loss of their three-year-old son, nephew and grandson due to drowning.
The tragedy unfolded on Feb. 9 in Peoria. At the time, Peoria Police investigators said officers were sent to the area of 93rd Avenue and Deer Valley Road, and when they arrived, they began life-saving measures on the child.
The child, police say, died at the hospital. He has since been identified by members of his family as Dominic Salas.
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Peoria drowning: AZ family remembers young victim
The tragedy unfolded on Feb. 9 in Peoria, and the victim, 3-year-old Dominic Salas, is remembered by loved ones as a boy who was full of joy and life. FOX 10's Lauren Clark reports. (Our special thanks to Cameo Hunsaker for the American Sign Language translation for this story.)
On Feb. 16, we spoke with Dominic's uncle, who said his little nephew was full of joy and life.
"If you could imagine a more happy-go-lucky, excited about life, always smiling – I don’t ever really think that I saw him upset – three-year-old, that would be Dominic in a nutshell," said TJ Thompson. "The kid absolutely loved dinosaurs. There were these little dinosaur slippers he would wear all the time, running around, making his dinosaur noises."
Dominic, like his mother, was also deaf. Thompson said he was learning his ABC’s at Phoenix Day School for the Deaf, where he started in November 2023.
"One of the biggest things I was the most excited about was being able to sign with him," said Thompson.
Thompson said on Feb. 9, he got a frantic call from his mom, saying there was an accident at the house his sister was housesitting.
"I think people are going to – in this day and age – want to try to play the blame game, and I don’t think that’s the time for that, whatsoever," said Thompson. "Unfortunately, drownings can happen to anybody within a matter of seconds."
Now, family members are planning for a memorial service to honor Dominic's short, but impactful life. Thompson also has a message to share to the community at large.
"If you have kids, make sure you get them into some kind of swim lessons, class, things like that. Even the ones that just teach how to avoid a drawing situation, just being able to get to the side of a pool," said Thompson.
(Our special thanks to Cameo Hunsaker for the American Sign Language translation in the full video for this story)
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