Santa Ana : 2-Year-Old Becomes 20th Drowning Victim
A 2-year-old boy drowned in his family’s swimming pool, becoming the 20th child to die by drowning in Orange County this year, authorities said Monday.
Deputy Coroner William King said the mother of Justin Medeck, 2, left him in the care of a baby sitter Sunday morning. When she returned home at noon, she found him face down in the pool, King said.
An unidentified neighbor performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the boy until paramedics arrived and rushed him to Garden Grove Medical Center, but Justin was pronounced dead on arrival, King said.
The death marked the 20th drowning in the county of children under age 6 this year, according to statistics from the sheriff-coroner’s office. So far this year, two children have drowned in bath tubs, one in a lake, one in an apartment complex pool, 12 in residential pools and four in residential spas.
The previous record was 17 child drownings for all of 1983. Last year, 14 children under the age of 6 were reported drowned in Orange County.
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