Toddler Dies After Falling Into Pond, Grandma in Critical Condition After Trying to Save Him

A Massachusetts family is facing an unimaginable tragedy after a toddler who was just days away from his second birthday died in a pond accident that also left his grandmother critically injured.

The incident happened around 1:30 p.m. Friday at the Nathaniel Allen Recreation Area, known as NARA, in Acton.

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said investigators believe the little boy may have accidentally fallen into the water before his grandmother rushed in after him.

Authorities stressed that the investigation is still in its early stages and they do not yet know exactly how the tragedy unfolded.

The grandmother had been dropped off at the park with three grandchildren by the children’s parents. The family was not there to swim.

At some point, a person running along a nearby path spotted the toddler’s 4-year-old and 6-year-old siblings desperately trying to get help.

“Maybe that child, a fairly new walker, made some quick progress toward the water. We just don’t know that,” Ryan said.

Witnesses began screaming across the pond for help.

The area where the toddler and his grandmother entered the water is not a designated swimming section. Across the pond, lifeguards were working during the final day of summer camp and heard the frantic calls.

They quickly rushed to the scene.

Rescuers faced dangerous conditions as they tried to pull the pair from the water. Officials said the shoreline is covered in slippery rocks and the pond drops rapidly to a depth of around 15 feet.

The toddler was airlifted by MedFlight to a nearby hospital, but doctors were unable to save him.

He was expected to turn 2 years old the following week.

His grandmother was also flown to a hospital before being transferred to a Boston medical center with life-threatening injuries. She remained in critical condition.

Neither the child nor his grandmother has been publicly identified.

Witnesses and lifeguards could be seen comforting one another after the devastating rescue effort.

Acton Police Chief Douglas Sturniolo called on the community to come together in the aftermath.

“I really just want to ask the community just to support one another. That’s what I can ask for right now,” he said.