Toddler Drowns In Florida Pool Days After Birthday

BRADENTON, FL — A Florida toddler, who celebrated his third birthday on Saturday, died six days later when he apparently wandered through a sliding glass door and drowned in his family's swimming pool.

Kayden D Bond's body was found at the bottom of the pool by his mother, 25-year-old Samantha Howard. The incident occurred in the 4400 block of 20th Street West, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

The child's great-grandmother, who celebrated her 67th birthday on Christmas Eve, placed the child in a "pack and play" after getting up twice with him for bottle feedings Friday morning, according to the sheriff's office.

The child's great-grandmother, identified as Gloria Howard, apparently fell back asleep as her husband, 67-year-old Peter Howard, made breakfast.

"A short time later, Peter was working on breakfast and realized that he hadn’t seen the victim yet," the sheriff's office explained. "He started looking around and noticed that he wasn’t in his 'pack and play' and that the rear slider leading to the pool was open."

That's when the child's mother was awakened by the commotion and ran out to the pool area.

"She jumped in and recovered the victim from the bottom of the pool," said the sheriff's office. "The first two deputies on scene attempted CPR before EMS arrived and took over."

The child was taken to Manatee Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

"Detectives arrived quickly to assume the investigation. It appears to have been an accidental drowning," the sheriff's office noted.

Photo courtesy Manatee County Sheriff's Office