Floral City girl found in family pool dies
While her father was asleep, the 23-month-old girl got out of the house Saturday afternoon apparently through a back door that led to the pool.
By JORGE SANCHEZ
Published February 28, 2005
FLORAL CITY - A young girl who wandered outside her house and was discovered in the family's pool was pronounced dead Saturday night after being taken off life support.
Auslinn Hickey, 23 months old, was pronounced dead Saturday night at Citrus Memorial Hospital in Inverness, according to a spokeswoman for the Citrus County Sheriff's Office.
She was taken to the hospital after her father discovered her body in the family pool at about 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
The father, Jeffrey Hickey, 24, of 12261 S Fern Point, told authorities that the drowning occurred after he dozed off while caring for the child and her brother in his home. The children's mother, Elizabeth Rollason, 27, was out of state on a business trip, sheriff's officials said.
Hickey worked the night shift at an area correctional facility, and he arrived home from work Saturday morning and soon thereafter awoke Auslinn and her brother, Matthew Rollason, 3.
He told authorities that the family spent time together at home until the early afternoon.
"He told the deputies that, he must have fallen asleep on the couch," said Gail Tierney, public information officer for the sheriff's office.
When Hickey awoke at about 1:30 p.m., he saw the young boy still in the family room, but no sign of the daughter.
"He quickly searched, looked out the back door and saw her face down in the family pool," Tierney said. Hickey pulled the girl out of the pool, administered CPR and dialed 911, she said.
The girl was taken by ambulance to Citrus Memorial Hospital, about six miles away in Inverness. She was placed on life support until the early evening, when the decision was made to remove life support. She was pronounced dead at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Tierney said.
Tierney said that detectives and the state Department of Children and Families are investigating the drowning. Their findings will be turned over to the state attorney's office to decide if criminal charges are warranted.
Tierney said that a child's safety gate, used to block a doorway, was still up when investigators arrived, but that another door in the back of the house, leading to the pool, was opened.
--Jorge Sanchez can be reached at 860-7313 or e-mail at sanchez@sptimes.com