UPDATE, July 11, 4:45 p.m.: The boy pulled unconscious from a North Haven pool on Sunday died on Wednesday at Stony Brook University Hospital, Southampton Town police confirmed on Thursday.
ORIGINALLY, July 11, 11 a.m.: A 2-year-old boy was pulled unresponsive from a swimming pool at a North Haven house on Sunday afternoon, Southampton Town Police said on Monday. As of Tuesday, the toddler was still in the care of Stony Brook University Hospital after the incident, which occurred at about 12:30 p.m. on Sunset Beach Road.
Police from Southampton Town and Sag Harbor Village, along with a Sag Harbor Emergency Medical Services team, responded to the call and performed CPR on the boy. He was first taken by ambulance to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, which transferred him to Stony Brook University Hospital for further treatment. Southampton Town Police detectives and code enforcement officers are investigating.
The North Haven incident on Sunday was the fifth near drowning or drowning in a swimming pool reported at a Suffolk County house since June 28, according to the Suffolk County Police Department. Three of the four prior incidents involved children under the age of 10.
Just hours earlier on Monday, county police released a statement from County Executive Ed Romaine to remind parents and guardians about the importance of pool safety given the rise of what he described as avoidable pool-drowning deaths.
“Please take some time this season to learn about pool safety,” Mr. Romaine said in the press release. “It could mean the difference between life and death.”
According to the county, drowning is the number-one cause of death in the United States among children 1 to 4 years old, and 88 percent of drownings occur with at least one adult present. The county recommends “staying within arm’s reach of younger children,” installing a barrier such as a fence — already required by many municipal codes — to prevent entry to the pool, and removing ladders to aboveground pools when not in use.
John Ryan Jr., the president of the nonprofit Hampton Lifeguard Assocation and East Hampton Town’s chief lifeguard, said that informing both parents and children about water safety is the best way to prevent drowning. “I talk to elementary students about swimming and going in the water,” he said. “I tell them that they should never go in a backyard pool alone and that they should always go with a buddy. But what’s important is that they know the swimming capability of the buddy. I tell them what they really need is a supervisor.”
Mr. Ryan said it takes only an instant for swimmers to become “non-swimmers” in danger, especially at ocean beaches, where dangers such as rip currents and wind strength can quickly turn an experienced water-goer into a potential victim.
However, he said, the danger of water does not diminish in a pool setting. “Just because there is someone there doesn’t mean that they are watching you,” Mr. Ryan said. “For example, I take my phone out or read a book and ask the kids if I’m watching them. The answer is no, they do not have my full attention and I could very easily get distracted. If I am looking at my phone, I am not watching. Children in pools need undivided attention.”
Suffolk County Legislator NickCaracappa, who largely represents Brookhaven Town, reiterated Mr. Ryan’s advice -– “cellphones down and eyes open,” he said in the County Police Department’s water-safety statement.
“With the summer upon us, swimming is an eagerly anticipated part of the season,” he said. “Whether in a pool or in our waterways, safety is the key to enjoyment and creating moments and memories. Always designate someone to be in charge of watching and observing friends and loved ones in the water. . . . Let’s keep this summer to creating memories and prevent creating memorials.”
