1 Toddler Dead, 1 Clings to Life in Pool Accidents

An 18-month-old girl was in critical condition Friday night after her mother found her floating in their back-yard wading pool, and a second 18-month-old died the same day after falling into his grandparents’ swimming pool on Thursday.

On Friday, Christina Izquierda, 39, told police that after she cleaned the kitchen of her single-family home in the 1900 block of North Laird Street in Santa Ana, she looked in her back yard for her two daughters, Lt. Jose Garcia said.

Izquierda had left her 18-month-old and 4-year-old playing near a wading pool. When she went outside at 4:30 p.m., she saw the toddler, Veronica, floating in the pool and called police.

Police performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation until paramedics arrived. The child was taken to UC Irvine Medical Center, where she was in critical condition.

Authorities are still investigating the case, Garcia said.

On Thursday, an 18-month-old boy, Todd James Wilkins, was found unconscious in his family’s swimming pool the 1800 block of Port Townsend Circle, Newport Beach. His 20-year-old mother had fallen asleep next to the playpen and awoke about 4:40 p.m. to find her child near death, investigators said.

The boy apparently had wandered from his playpen and fell into his grandparents’ pool, police said.

Paramedics estimated the child had been in the water about 30 minutes. He died Friday at Children’s Hospital of Orange County.