GARDENA, Calif. – A three-year-old child drowned in a backyard swimming pool Nov. 18 in the city of Gardena.
Authorities responded to an emergency call of a “male child” that drowned in a pool in the 13100 block of Ruthelen Ave.
The child has been identified as Royal Starks.
Officers arrived on the scene and began administering life-saving measures until the fire department arrived.
The child was transported to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries.
No foul play is suspected and the case is being investigated as an accident.
According to the CDC, drowning is the number one cause of unintentional death for children between the ages of 1 and 4. And according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 390 deaths a year on average are attributed to drowning in a swimming pool or at a spa.
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