A 20-month-old toddler is dead and his grandmother is on life support after they were discovered floating unconscious in an outdoor pool in Surrey on Sunday evening.
Witnesses say the two were found by a group of children who had kicked a soccer ball onto the pool deck of an apartment building in the 10500-block of 152nd Street at around 9 p.m.
The kids pulled the 51-year-old woman and her grandchild from the pool, but paramedics and fire crews who arrived at the scene shortly after were unable to revive the young boy.
Mounties say both of the victims were fully clothed, and that the circumstances appear consistent with a tragic accident
“Early indications are the child may have fallen into the pool, the grandmother tried to apparently enter the pool to try and save the child,” Sgt. Drew Grainer said. “Unfortunately the grandmother, being a non-swimmer, was unable to save herself.”
The toddler was pronounced dead Sunday night at Surrey Memorial Hospital, while his grandmother remained in critical, unstable condition Monday at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster.
Their names have not been released at the request of their family.
Foul play has been ruled out and investigators do not believe drugs or alcohol were factors. It’s unclear how long they were in the pool, but investigators believe it was an “extended amount of time.”
The BC Coroners Service is investigating the toddler’s death with assistance from Surrey RCMP.
Police have already interviewed a number of witnesses, but anyone who has yet to speak to investigators is asked to call 604-599-0502.
