VERO BEACH — A 1-year-old boy drowned Tuesday afternoon after being pulled from a backyard pool in Indian River County, authorities said.
Indian River County sheriff’s deputies and Indian River Fire Rescue crews responded to a home in the 700 block of 46th Square around 3:27 p.m. following reports of a drowning, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. The child was removed from the pool and immediate life-saving measures were started at the scene, officials said.
Deputies from Indian River and St. Lucie counties formed a law enforcement escort for the ambulance transporting the boy to Lawnwood Regional Medical Center in Fort Pierce. Despite those efforts, he was pronounced dead at the hospital, authorities said.
Next of kin were notified, the Sheriff’s Office said. An investigation was ongoing to determine how the child ended up in the pool.
“The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office extends its deepest condolences to the family on the loss of their precious child,” Sheriff Eric Flowers said in a statement. “This is a heartbreaking tragedy, and we ask the community to keep this family in their thoughts and prayers during this devastating time.”
Authorities asked that members of the media not go to the residence, saying it was an especially difficult time for the family and the first responders still investigating on scene.