Missing Girl, 4, Found Drowned in Family's Pool

A 4-year-old girl who went missing from her Texas home was later found drowned in a backyard pool.

San Antonio Police Department officers were alerted to reports that a young girl had gone missing from a home in the 9100 block of Ocean Gate at about 8:05 p.m. on Wednesday, July 26. The caller told police that the 4-year-old had been missing for about 30 minutes and had not been found. Police officers arrived at the property within 30 minutes, discovered the girl in the pool, and attempted to save her life.

A San Antonio Police Department spokesperson told Newsweek: "Officers retrieved V1 [the girl] and began lifesaving measures. EMS arrived and transported V1 to a local hospital where she was pronounced deceased. No charges have been made at this time as this is an ongoing investigation." The department did not share any further information about the girl's identity.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that more children aged between 1 and 4 die from drowning than any other cause of death. In comparison, for youngsters aged between 5 and 14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after motor-vehicle crashes. The CDC added that, every year in the U.S., there are around 4,000 fatal drownings, or an average of 11 such deaths per day.

"Children aged 1 to 4 have the highest drowning rates. Most drownings in children aged 1 to 4 happen in swimming pools," the CDC added. "Drowning can happen even when children are not expected to be near water, such as when they gain unsupervised access to pools."

The CDC says there are several things that people can do to help prevent drownings, which include:

• Learning the basics of swimming and water safety.
• Building fences that fully enclose pools.
• Supervising people who are swimming closely, especially children.
• Wearing a life jacket.
• Learning CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
• Knowing the risks of natural waters.
• Avoiding drinking alcohol.
• Considering the effect of medications.
• Not hyperventilating before swimming underwater nor holding your breath for a long time.

There was another case where young children drowned in Texas this month, as reported by Newsweek.

The bodies of two children aged 12 and 6 were recovered from a Texas river after they got into difficulty in the water. A father was playing with three children near the water when he reportedly lost sight of the pair.

Harris County Sheriff's Office was alerted to reports that the 6-year-old boy and the 12-year-old girl went under the water in the San Jacinto River near the Xtreme Off Road Park and Beach.