A Texas family is grieving a heartbreaking double tragedy after a 2-year-old boy and his 74-year-old relative drowned in a neighborhood pond during what began as a simple walk.
The incident happened around 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 5, in the Spring Lakes neighborhood of Harris County, according to reports from KTRK, ABC 13 and Click2Houston.
Deputies responded to a report of a drowning, and the toddler and the elderly woman were pulled from the water and rushed to the hospital. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez later confirmed in a Facebook post that both died from the incident.
“Our hearts are heavy and our deepest condolences go out to the family and loved ones affected by this devastating loss,” Gonzalez wrote. “Detectives and investigators remain on scene working to determine exactly what happened. Water safety is critically important—especially around young children.”
According to Click2Houston, the boy’s mother told investigators that she and her son were visiting the elderly relative, who lived in the neighborhood, when the tragedy unfolded. The mother said the relative took the little boy on a walk because he was bored.
After some time passed without hearing from them, the mother became worried and went looking for the pair.
When she arrived at the pond, emergency crews were already performing CPR on the 74-year-old woman, according to Click2Houston. Moments later, the toddler was also pulled from the water.
“She is naturally very distraught,” Major Ben Katrib with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office told the outlet. “Our approach is trauma-informed, so we need to allow her the time before we interview her.”
The mother, her son and the elderly relative have not been publicly identified.
Deputies said the mother indicated that her child may have had autism. Investigators are still trying to determine exactly how the woman and the toddler ended up in the water.
Several neighbors told Fox26 they saw the pair walking in the area before the drownings happened. When neighbors realized something was wrong, some jumped into the pond and tried desperately to help.
Carmelo Carter said he immediately went into the water to search for them.
“I took off my shoes and my socks and instantly jumped in and got straight to searching,” Carter told Fox26. “It was really slippery in there because the minute I got in, I slipped, and I fell.”
He said he even grabbed goggles and went beneath the surface to keep looking.
“I even went above and beyond and got some goggles and went under the surface to see if I could see underneath,” Carter said. “But when you go in, you can’t really feel the bottom.”
Another neighbor, Kyle Friels, said the tragedy has devastated the community.
“My first instinct… if that was my child, I would do the same,” Friels told Fox26. “So what I did is I just jumped into the water to find the little boy.”
Friels also warned that the pond is more dangerous than it may look from the outside.
“It only comes out to about maybe 10 feet and then drops down to 12 feet,” he said. “It drops. It’s not a lake for kids to be in.”
Katrib also urged families to stay extremely cautious around water, especially when young children are nearby.
“Anything can happen in the blink of an eye,” he said. “Children should be supervised at all times.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Harris County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line at 713-221-6000 or Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS.
What started as a quiet visit with family ended in a devastating loss that has left loved ones and neighbors shaken.
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