Toddler critical after falling into backyard pool

A stepsister finds the Tarpon Springs boy floating face down and gives him mouth-to-mouth.

By MATTIAS KAREN

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 8, 2000

TARPON SPRINGS -- A 22-month-old boy nearly drowned after falling into a backyard pool Friday while his three stepsisters watched television, police said.

Mitchell Mann was found floating face down in the pool at 710 Loquat Drive after one of the stepsisters noticed he was missing.

When the boy was pulled out of the water, he showed no signs of life, said Tarpon Springs police Sgt. Jeffrey Young, one of the first rescuers to arrive at the scene.

"He was unresponsive, no pulse, no breathing," Young said.

The boy was flown to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg and later transferred to All Children's Hospital where he was listed in critical condition Friday.

Young said the stepsisters were watching television when the oldest noticed Mitchell was missing.

She saw that the back door was open, rushed out and found the boy in the pool, Young said.

He said the girl told paramedics she pulled Mitchell out of the pool and gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation before they arrived.

"Hopefully, with her knowing CPR, that was the edge that he needed," Young said.

When he was lifted onto the helicopter, however, the boy was still not breathing, Young said.

The boy's father and stepmother, whose names were not available, were not in the house when the accident happened shortly after noon, Young said.

Mitchell's mother lives in Clearwater, he said.

He did not know which parent has custody of the toddler.

Police are not pursuing a criminal investigation, Capt. Bob Kochen said.

"We're pretty sure it's accidental," he said.

Kochen said he did not know the names of Mitchell's parents, or how old his stepsisters are.

- Staff writer Mattias Karen can be reached at (727) 445-4243 or at northpin@sptimes.com.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.