Mother and Worker Save Twins From Watery Death : Accident: The 21-month-old boys nearly drowned when they fell into an unfenced pool at a condominium complex in Garden Grove.

GARDEN GROVE — Fast reaction by a mother and a pool service worker saved the woman’s twin toddlers from drowning Thursday in an unfenced pool at a condominium complex.

Jeremy and Joshua Barnett, 21 months, fell into the water about 10:15 a.m. at the Castillian Three complex in the 9600 block of Hazard Avenue.

Their mother, Rebecca, ran from her kitchen and jumped into the pool to pull them out when she heard a splash that was followed by the children’s screams.

She and Herb Roman, who had been working in a nearby pool shed, revived the boys with cardiopulmonary resuscitation before paramedics arrived a few minutes later, family members said.

“My mother’s very upset,” Brandon Justus, 14, said of Rebecca Barnett as he waited in the emergency room lobby at the Humana Hospital-Westminster. “She can’t calm down.”

Jeremy was allowed to go home Thursday afternoon but Joshua was transferred to St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, where he will be observed for 24 hours because he has water in his lungs, said Jan Robison, their grandmother.

The Barnetts were the fourth family in a week to be involved in accidental or near drowning of children under 5 years of age.

Roman, of Dial One A A All Rooter & Plumbing in Huntington Beach, said he saw the twins “hanging out” on the deck near the pool as he was walking into the boiler room.

“I heard the splash, it was no more than five minutes” later that he heard a scream, he said. “But that’s too long. It went through my mind that it was too late.”

But Roman worked on one boy while the mother worked on the other, and a minute later the toddlers were conscious.

Neighbor Robert Solgan said he was in his condominium when he heard Barnett’s scream. He looked outside, saw Barnett helping her children and dialed 911.

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“This is a small condo complex and there are always children around,” Solgan said. He said that there is no fence around the pool, though strict rules about not leaving children unattended are posted.

Garden Grove does not require a pool to be fenced as long as a fence surrounds the whole property, said Frank Schuma, development services director for the city.

The twins’ older brother said the family has been frustrated because there is nothing to keep young children out of the water. “We have to keep a constant eye on the kids,” Brandon said.

Marvin Daniel Morgan,3, was found unconscious Monday at a Santa Ana swimming pool by his relatives, who resuscitated him before paramedics arrived.

Andrew Bahn, also 3, was not so lucky. His mother found him Monday lying in the bottom of the family pool in Anaheim. He died 45 minutes later at Kaiser Permanente Hospital-Orange County, though neighbors and relatives tried desperately to revive him.

Erica Chocotec, 2, was found floating face down in a back-yard pool Aug. 6. A neighbor saved her life by squeezing her stomach to get water out of her system.

The incident involving the Garden Grove toddlers are the 52nd and 53rd near drownings of children under 5 this year in Orange County, according to Maureen Williams, spokeswoman at Children’s Hospital of Orange County. Four children in the same age group have drowned in swimming pools this year, said Williams, who is chairwoman of the Orange County Pool Safety Network.

Health officials released a study in June showing that drownings were the leading cause of death for county infants and toddlers last year, when there were 104 drownings and near drownings.

Preventing Tragedy

Some suggestions for preventing pool drownings:

Fences: Enclose the pool area completely with a four- to five-foot-high fence that children cannot climb or slip through.

Gates: Fence gates should be self-closing and self-latching, with the latch higher than a child can reach.

Pool covers: Covers should attach securely around the pool perimeter and be strong enough to support the weight of two adults. Do not allow water to accumulate on top of the cover.

Steps: Remove steps leading to above-ground pools when they are not in use.

CPR: Parents should learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Preparedness: Children should have water safety or swimming lessons. Keep a phone in the pool area, along with a life ring and hooked pole.

Awareness: Watch children when they are around water. Nearly 70% of child drownings occur when parents are momentarily distracted.

Sources: American Red Cross, Los Angeles Times