Toddler Dies After Falling Into Pond at Florida Home

A 23-month-old boy died after falling into a pond on his family's property in Port Salerno, Florida, on Tuesday evening.

According to the Martin County Sheriff's Office (MCSO), the child, Pablo Mendoza-Arrojo, was playing in the yard with family members when he went missing for approximately ten minutes around 5 p.m.

Family members immediately began searching for the boy and discovered him floating in a pond located on their property. He was transported to Cleveland Clinic South Hospital, where he was pronounced dead in the emergency room.

"The family rushed the child to the hospital, but despite every lifesaving effort, he was pronounced dead in the emergency room," MCSO officials stated in a Facebook post.

Investigators have interviewed individuals present at the scene and are reviewing the circumstances surrounding the child's death. It remains unclear if the pond was secured with a fence or gate. MCSO has not confirmed whether any charges will be filed as the investigation is ongoing.

This incident occurs amid a series of drowning deaths in Florida involving children and ponds. In August, a three-year-old child with autism drowned in a retention pond in Jacksonville, and a five-year-old boy drowned behind his apartment building in Tampa.

Retention ponds, designed for stormwater management, are common in Florida neighborhoods. Unlike residential swimming pools, Florida's Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act does not mandate safety barriers, alarms, or covers for retention ponds.

In response to recent child deaths, Councilman Reggie Gaffney Jr. of Jacksonville City Council District 8 hosted a community meeting in August to discuss measures to prevent drowning accidents in ponds. "My heart goes out to them, my heart aches for them, I could just give them a hug right now, I want to let them know that I’m doing everything possible to prevent this tragedy from happening again and I’ll make sure my colleagues do everything possible as well," Gaffney Jr. said.

The Florida Department of Children and Families reports that Florida has a higher rate of child fatalities under the age of five than any other state. According to the Florida Department of Health, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 1-4 in Florida, characterized as a fast, silent event that can occur during brief moments of distraction.