An Ohio mother is demanding answers and expressing outrage after her 6-year-old son, Xion Thomas, drowned in a swimming pool on July 30 while in the temporary custody of Lucas County Children Services. Xion died at Wood County Hospital after being pulled from the pool.
Xion had been placed with an out-of-network foster family after entering temporary care in November 2025. His biological mother stated that she had informed caseworkers that Xion could not swim and should not be near swimming pools. "I want to know what happened," she told 13 Action News. "How did he end up in the pool after I warned them? I warned them about my baby around swimming pools — and he still drowned in a swimming pool. That makes no sense to me."
Two 911 calls were made from the residence. In one call, a dispatcher was informed that the child had been underwater for "probably like 10, 15 minutes." In a separate call, a woman performing CPR on Xion stated, "He was in the pool and he slipped under. We called 911."
Xion's mother learned of his death from a nurse at Wood County Hospital. "I asked her if he was alright and she just told me he was gone," she recounted. "She told me he didn't make it and that they had been working on him for quite a while before he got to the hospital and when he got there, he didn't have a heartbeat."
Lucas County Children Services issued a statement explaining that Xion was placed with a private foster care agency due to a shortage of foster homes in the area. According to the agency, the assessment, management, and supervision of these homes are the responsibility of the private provider. The statement also indicated that the organization would conduct an investigation into the circumstances of the case, in conjunction with the Wood County Sheriff’s Department.
Xion’s mother described him as strong and responsible, noting his recent kindergarten graduation and his passion for soccer. She expressed the difficulty of grieving her son while still working to regain custody of her other children. "I’m just going through it and then to still have to work the case plan to get my other babies back it’s just too much everything in me just wants to give up but I can’t because I have other kids to think about," she wrote on Facebook.
A relative, Cassie Ann Lambert, posted on social media expressing a loss of faith in the system, stating, "When children are removed from their families in the name of safety, there is an expectation that every possible measure will be taken to protect them. When that trust is broken, there must be transparency and accountability."