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CHANDLER, Ariz. - A four-year-old boy died after being pulled from a pool at Chandler's Hamilton Aquatic Center on Sunday night.
What we know:
The incident happened on June 29 at around 8:10 p.m. near Ocotillo Road and Arizona Avenue.
"Lifeguards pulled a four-year-old boy from the pool after he was submerged for an undetermined amount of time," the Chandler Police Department said.
They performed life-saving measures until first responders arrived. He was rushed to the hospital where he died.
"The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation," police said.
It happened after normal operating hours during a church event that hosted about 60 people.
City officials said 18 city lifeguards were on duty when it happened.
What they're saying:
Alex Mindaro is the founder of Euvori Aquatics, a group that helps run the lifeguard programs for several local resorts and HOA’s across the Valley, and he stresses drownings can happen within moments.
"Drownings can happen within 20 seconds of the incident. Very quickly. They can also go unconscious in just a minute or two," Minardo said.
While the exact details of what happened and why remain unknown, he admits he was surprised to hear the news.
"I’m pretty familiar with the pool there at the Hamilton Aquatic Center. I would say 18 lifeguards should be enough to have it fully staffed. Obviously we wouldn’t know what the specifics of the scenario were, where the lifeguards were placed and what bodies of water were open, what bodies of water were not," he said.
That's why he hopes to learn more so that water safety can be refined.
"I’m sure that this will be used in future lifeguard training. Not just in the city, but for all of us lifeguards with certification to refine our lifeguarding," Minardo said.
While we don’t know if this was a factor here, Minardo points out that every time a child is in water, safety isn’t the sole responsibility of the lifeguards, and that parents and guardians should be watching, too.
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Capt. Dave Folio with the Scottsdale Fire Department stresses the need for there to be eyes on the pool at all times.
"The constant supervision is an absolute must. We've been saying it for years. Two seconds is too long to not see your kids, right? Especially around the water," said Scottsdale Fire Capt. Dave Folio.
One way to share the task is by handing off a water watcher necklace. Whoever has the necklace is the one responsible for watching the pool.
"The thing that that people need to remember, this is a silent killer. They slip under the water. You don't hear them scream. You don't hear them cry. They die. So that is just the absolute facts. There's no way around it," Capt. Folio said.
He adds that when you are around the pool, it might feel nice to relax and go on your phone, but this is the time to put the phone down and pay attention to who is in the water.
Local perspective:
This drowning marks the fifth drowning in the Valley this year, and with the 4th of July weekend right around the corner, that means BBQs and pool parties.
So how can you keep everyone safe?
Virginia Stewart is just days away from her backyard wedding, and she said she's hiring a lifeguard.
"It's nice having, for safety reasons, a lifeguard that's kind of taking action and watching, watching everybody," she said.
For all parties that Stewart plans, she makes sure to hire an extra set of eyes, a necessity to keep everyone in the pool safe.
With that said, she believes guests should always have an eye on their kids when they're around a pool.
"Yeah, that is not your safety net. You always want to watch your kids," she said.
What we don't know:
Police did not release the name of the little boy who died.
Map of where the aquatic center is at