By admin 
CHANDLER, AZ (AZFamily) — A 2-year-old was pulled from the water after firefighters responded to a reported near-drowning in Chandler Sunday morning.
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Around 8:30 a.m., first responders were called to a home near Arizona Avenue and Elliot Road on reports of a child drowning in a backyard pool.
When crews arrived, they found the toddler with CPR already in progress, according to the Chandler Fire Department. The child was transported to a hospital, and no further information was immediately available.
The circumstances surrounding the incident remain unknown at this time.
A dangerous holiday weekend for water safety
Labor Day weekend is often one of the most devastating times of year for drowning incidents, as families gather for one last celebration of summer before the season winds down.
“It’s just so important that you watch your children around water,” said Capt. Todd Keller of the Phoenix Fire Department. “Drownings are the leading cause of death for children between the ages of one and four.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 4,000 fatal drownings occur in the United States each year, with daily numbers spiking during major holiday weekends.
Keller urged families to implement a strict supervision plan, which includes assigning a designated “water watcher.”
“Have that designated child watcher and rotate that designated child watcher every 15 minutes,” Keller said. “If that person gets fatigued or tired, you can bring another person in.”
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Keller also stressed the importance of physical barriers, such as self-latching gates and pool fences.
Here are key water safety reminders to keep in mind:
- Supervise children constantly: Never leave a child unattended near water, even for a second.
- Designate a water watcher: If you’re with a group, have adults take turns watching the water.
- Install fence pools: Install a four-sided fence around pools, and ensure gates are self-closing and self-latching.
- Set pool covers and alarms: These should not replace a four-sided fence.
- Empty buckets and containers: After use, store them upside down and out of children’s reach.
- Close doors and lids: Keep bathroom and laundry room doors and toilet lids closed.
Water safety experts emphasize that vigilance, not just precaution, is what saves lives during the holiday weekend.
Additionally, water safety advocates warn that common swimming aids may actually put children at higher risk. According to the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, popular flotation devices like inflatable floaties and puddle jumpers can contribute to child drownings by giving parents a false sense of security and reinforcing dangerous habits.
The NDPA warns that these devices force children into a vertical posture in the water — known as a “drowning position” — rather than the horizontal position required for independent floating. The devices can also create a false sense of security for toddlers, who may jump into a pool without their flotation devices because they lack the developmental ability to understand they cannot float without them.
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