Irvine Boy Is County’s 19th Child Drowning Victim of Year

A 6-year-old Irvine boy has become the 19th drowning victim in Orange County this year, surpassing a record set only 10 days ago, authorities said.

Adam Scott Frost was pronounced dead on arrival at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana shortly after 4 p.m. Monday after efforts to revive him had failed, Irvine Police Sgt. Bob Lennert said.

Police said the boy was playing at the Irvine home of a schoolmate when the drowning occurred in a backyard swimming pool. The name of the friend’s family was not released.

Terri Jo Francois of Fullerton, who was baby-sitting at the Irvine home, told police officers she had been inside the house when she heard splashing sounds.

She said she came out of the house and saw the boy in the pool. She jumped in after him and pulled him out of the water. Francois and a neighbor who heard the commotion tried to resuscitate the youngster before paramedics arrived, Lennert said.

Adam was the 16th youngster to drown in a swimming pool or spa in the county this year, according to Supervising Deputy Coroner Richard Slaughter. He said that another three children have died this year in non-swimming pool drownings.

Adam was the fourth child to die by drowning in the county during the last two weeks. The county’s previous high for child drownings in a year was 17 in 1983.