3-year-old in critical condition after being pulled from Chandler, Arizona pool: police
Editor's note: The child has tragically died and has been identified as the son of a TikTok influencer. Click here for the latest update as of Monday, May 19.
A 3-year-old boy is in critical condition after being pulled unconscious out of a backyard pool in Chandler, Arizona, according to police.
Chandler Police Department officers responded to a home on Ashley Drive around 7 p.m. local time on May 12, Sonu Wasu, CPD's interim police media manager told Paste BN Thursday, May 15.
When officers arrived, they found the boy unconscious and began administering CPR. Chandler Fire Department arrived on scene shortly thereafter and took over aid.
The boy was taken to Chandler Regional Hospital and later flown to Phoenix Children's Hospital where he remains in critical condition, Wasu said. Chandler is about 30 miles southeast of Phoenix.
"This is still an ongoing and open investigation," Wasu said.
CDC: Drowning top cause of death for young children
More children between the ages of 1 and 4 years old die from drowning than any other cause of death, according to the CDC.
Drowning is often silent and can happen in seconds, according to the agency.
According to the CDC, Arizona had 1.42 unintentional drowning deaths per 100,000 people each year from 2018-2021, which is higher than the national average of 1.31 per 100,000 during the same time period.
The Children’s Safety Zone compiles drowning incidents from Fire Department Public Information Officers across the country. In Maricopa and Pinal counties, which encompass Chandler and Phoenix, the publication has noted 25 water-related incidents, including eight adult deaths, this year as of May 3.
Per data from the Drowning Coalition of Arizona, there were 79 drowning and near drowning incidents in the Phoenix Valley area in 2024, with 21 of them fatal.
This story has been updated with additional information.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for Paste BN. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.