COTTAGE GROVE, Minn. — The Cottage Grove Police Department is investigating after a 3-year-old girl was found unresponsive in a pool and later declared dead.
Officers initially responded to the 8600 block of Johansen Ave. S for a report of a child found in a pool, according to a statement from the department.
Family members and neighbors discovered the toddler in the water unresponsive and attempted life-saving measures before police arrived and continued those efforts.
The 3-year-old was transported to Regions Hospital where she was pronounced deceased. Foul play is not suspected in the child's death.
The incident is a reminder that summer and swimming season bring dangers for children and people who don't know how to swim. The Children's Safety Network said more than 3,500 people die each year from drowning, and one in four - an average of 945 deaths - are children. Nearly half of those victims are infants and toddlers.
A 5-year-old boy drowned in a pool June 12 in Edina, and a teen passed in mid-May after drowning while swimming at a family gathering in southwestern Minnesota. These stories are tragic reminders of how water can be fun, but also deadly.
Abby's Hope, a non-profit that advocates for pool safety and swimming education, offers these reminders as summer heats up in Minnesota.
- Teach children to have adult permission and supervision when entering the water.
- Parents actively supervise children while swimming and when near water. Over 70% of drownings happen during non-swim times.
- Enroll your child in swim lessons to teach them a lifesaving skill.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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