GARDEN GROVE : Girl, 2, Who Fell in Pool 9 Months Ago Dies

A 2-year-old who tumbled into a swimming pool earlier this year died after spending nine months in a coma, authorities said Tuesday.

Mariyam Ismail died at home in the 9900 block of Oasis Avenue on Monday, after months of daily prayers by her grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles.

The toddler fell into a back yard swimming pool March 17 while her family was eating lunch, her uncle, Mohammed Ismail, said. About five minutes later, the child’s aunt, Shahen Ismail, saw her lying face down in the pool and shouted for help. Mariyam’s father, Afzal Ismail, then jumped in after his daughter and tried to resuscitate her.

When paramedics arrived, the child still was not breathing and was taken to Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center, where she regained a pulse but remained in a coma. After about two months in the hospital, family members took the comatose child home so that her mother, Salma Ismail, could care for her, Mohammed Ismail said.

Afzal and Salma Ismail have two other young children, Salama and Noman. They have since built a fence around the swimming pool, Mohammed Ismail said.