Irvine man drowns in community pool; 28th drowning in O.C. this year

A man drowned in a pool at his Irvine town home complex Friday, authorities said.

It was the second drowning in Irvine this year and the 28th in Orange County, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi.

The year’s total could overtake last year’s, when there were 37 drownings countywide, according to the fire agency.

In Friday’s incident, the unidentified man in his 50s or 60s had been swimming alone in the communal pool at 301 Deerfield Ave., Concialdi said. Around noon, a group of roofers working nearby noticed he’d stopped moving and was underwater.

“They were able to pull him out and call 911,” Concialdi said, “but he was already deceased.”

Every drowning in the county this year has happened when children were left unattended or an adult was alone, Concialdi said.

“We’re asking people to be especially careful in this warm weather,” he said, recommending that parents watch kids closely and adults always bring a buddy when they swim.

Irvine leads Orange County in 911 calls related to drowning incidents, Concialdi said.

In addition to the two fatalities, crews have been called out eight times for water-related emergencies that could have ended with victims drowning.

“A number of them still experienced brain damage or other medical problems because they were submerged underwater for a period of time,” Concialdi said.

jeremiah.dobruck@latimes.com

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck