Two-year-old drowns in family swimming pool

By Times staff writer

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 21, 2001

TAMPA -- A 2-year-old girl drowned Sunday afternoon in her family's backyard pool.

Authorities said Alena Rose Ball managed to wander off from her parents just before 1 p.m. Sunday, eventually falling into the pool in her back yard at 3114 Kenyon Ave. in the Carrollwood area.

Alena's parents, Lenore and Randy Ball, told deputies that she was gone 20 to 30 minutes before anyone noticed she was missing.

They did not know how long she had been in the pool when they found her.

The Balls did CPR until paramedics arrived minutes after their 911 call. Alena was taken by helicopter to Tampa General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Sgt. Alan Hill, a spokesman for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, said the family's pool did not have a fence around it and had no child safety devices, such as an alarm, that would have alerted her parents when she fell in.

Such safety measures are now legally mandated on all new pools built in Florida. The Balls' house and pool were built 15 years ago.

Florida leads the nation in child drowning deaths. Statewide, officials estimate that 70 to 80 children die per year in drowning accidents.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright