3-year-old boy drowns after wandering away from mother at busy apartment complex pool, deputies say

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — A 3-year-old boy has tragically died after being found unresponsive in a pool at an apartment complex in west Harris County on Monday, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies were dispatched to the Radius West apartments at 1721 Greenhouse Road around 7:23 p.m. in response to a drowning call.

HCSO reported that the child was with family members at the complex pool when he went underwater. Investigators said the boy had been in the shallow end but wandered into the deeper area where older children were playing. His mother, unable to see him, realized something was wrong when another child spotted him underwater.

Approximately 15 to 20 people were in the pool at the time of the incident. Bystanders immediately pulled the boy out of the water and began CPR, but unfortunately, he did not survive.

“You have to pool-proof your kids. Get them swimming. You have to get them the lessons. You have to make sure if they’re not pool-safe, that they’re in life jackets,” said David Crain with HCSO. “You have to watch them all the time. It has to be a 110% focus on these kiddos because they can slip under.”

An investigation is underway to determine the circumstances leading to the boy’s death.