Toddler dies after being pulled from a backyard pool in Miami-Dade: MDSO

A 3-year-old girl died after wandering into the backyard of a home where she was staying and falling into a swimming pool early Saturday morning, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies were called shortly before 6 a.m. to a home near Southwest 132nd Avenue and 119th Street in the Kendale Lakes area, where a family of seven — two adults and five children — was staying at a short-term rental, said MDSO spokesperson Detective Angel Rodriguez.

“This is a very sad and tragic event,” Rodriguez said. “We are asking the community to pray for this family.”

Investigators say the family was asleep when the child fell into the pool. The girl’s parents pulled her from the water after realizing she was in there, Rodriguez said.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue transported the child to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital in critical condition. She died at the hospital.

“The initial investigation is leaning to an accidental death. However, our detectives are going to do a full and thorough investigation to ensure that that is exactly the manner or the type of death investigation that’s conducted here today,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez also urged residents to review pool-safety precautions, noting South Florida’s proximity to water. He encouraged homeowners to ensure pools have proper locks, alarms, and fencing and recommended swimming lessons for children to help them become more comfortable around water.