Police Undecided On Charges After 4-Year-Old Drowns In Swimming Pool
THORNTON, Colo. (CBS4) - Police have not decided whether anyone will face charges in the death of a 4-year-old from Lafayette who drowned in a pool at a mobile home park in Thornton on Sunday.
Officer Matt Barnes with Thornton police said at approximately 2:56 p.m. officers responded to a call about a possible drowning at the Pine Lakes Ranch Mobile Home Community clubhouse pool. The boy was found face down in the pool at the development located off 100th Avenue.
The boy was there with family and friends. Police said he was surrounded by 50 people at the time and witnesses say he was wearing a life vest at one point.
"When we got there, there was this little kid just (lying) next to the pool with paramedics and everybody there and people crying," witness Edwin Ramirez said.
Now a temporary memorial of stuffed animals and religious candles lay near where the boy's body was found.
"It's pretty shocking because it's where we all swim," Ramirez said. "They say he was just (lying) there in the water until somebody saw him and picked him up," Ramirez said.
"Everybody there did the right thing," Barnes said. "It might have been just a situation where he was struggling underwater and nobody saw that, and he took the last breath and rose to the top."
Earlier that afternoon the boy was seen wearing a flotation device.
"I guess he took off his life vest to try to go underwater and he just breathed in water and just couldn't come up," Ramirez said.
The owner of the mobile home community would not go on camera but says lifeguards are not required to be in the area. Residents say maybe there should be.
"There should be somebody watching in every pool so just in case some little kid goes in there without anybody watching," Ramirez said.
"This is just a tragic reminder to all us, you know, that these things happen very quickly," Barnes said. "It only takes minutes before a life can be taken."
The American flag is flying at half-staff at the mobile home park to mourn the death of a member of the community.
So far police say no charges have been filed.
