Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Boy, 4, Who Was Pulled From Bottom of Hot Tub Dies

A 4-year-old boy who fell into an elevated hot tub and was under water for several minutes before he was noticed by his siblings who were swimming in a nearby pool has died, authorities said Monday.

Jason Nyerges died between 6 and 7 p.m. Saturday at Kaiser Foundation Hospital, where he had been in a coma since the accident Aug. 4, said hospital spokeswoman Linda Quon.

The boy was being taught to swim by his five older brothers and sisters when the accident occurred at the family’s Placerita Canyon home, authorities said.

Jason apparently fell into the four-feet-deep water when he reached for a toy gun at the bottom of the spa. Because the hot tub was above the pool, Jason’s siblings couldn’t see that he had fallen into the water even though they were only a few feet away.

The toddler was in the hot tub between five and 15 minutes before he was discovered, authorities said.

Funeral services will be held sometime later this week at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Newhall, said Gil Nyerges, Jason’s father.

As many as 50 Southland children die each year in accidental drownings, according to Dr. Stephen Johnson, director of Kaiser’s pediatric intensive care units. Most of the deaths result from stepping into back-yard pools and hot tubs, he said.

“That’s the problem in Southern California,” said Johnson. “It’s the No. 1 preventable cause of death for children under 5 years of age.”

Accidents usually occur when parents are distracted or away from a pool area, sometimes for only the few seconds it takes to answer a phone call, Johnson said.

Although locked gates and pool covers are helpful, they can sometimes give parents a false sense of security. Swim lessons for small children are also of minimal help, because a youngster won’t usually remember them, Johnson said.

“The only way to prevent drownings is constant adult supervision,” Johnson said.