CORAL SPRINGS, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida woman and her 5-year-old daughter were pronounced dead after, officials said, they were pulled unresponsive from a pool at an apartment complex in Coral Springs, Sunday afternoon.
Coral Springs Police and Fire crews responded to the scene at the Sherwood Square Apartments, located along the 1000 block of Riverside Drive, near Shadowwood Boulevard.
According to Coral Springs Police, two men found the 31-year-old woman and her child floating face down in the pool, at around 3:30 p.m. Rescuers arrived at the scene and performed CPR on them.
Paramedics transported the victims to Broward Health Coral Springs, where they both died.
A woman who lives at the complex told 7News she had seen the victims playing around the pool earlier in the day. “I see the mommy and the child at the pool, and Mom running around,” said Maja Petrovic. “That’s what we see every day, parents coming to the pool.”
By the time Petrovic realized something was wrong, it was too late. “When the police was here, can you imagine? If we only looked for just a few minutes, before they drowned, we would have wanted to help them, to rescue them,” she said.
There is no word on how they ended up in the pool. Investigators remained at the complex well into the evening as they went door to door interviewing neighbors.
“I’m in shock, frankly,” said resident Norma Zetina. “This has never happened here before.”
Police said the mother was found fully clothed and the daughter was discovered in a bathing suit. They do not suspect foul play.
Officials confirmed the victims were likely in the water for more than an hour. “They are residents here. They did go down to the pool early this afternoon,” said Coral Springs Police Sgt. Carla Kmiotek. “At this time, it’s possible they were under the water over an hour.”
Police notified the victims’ family on Sunday evening. As of Monday morning, they have not released their names.
Petrovic said she didn’t know them personally, but her daughter went to the same school as the younger victim. “Of course, I’m thinking of my own children,” she said as she fought back tears. “I don’t know what to say, because we have a mom and a child that lost their lives today, and I think I cannot say anything.”
Investigators said there was no one else at the pool at the time they were found.
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