NOCATEE, Fla. — A tragic incident in a Nocatee neighborhood on Friday night has claimed the life of a 3-year-old child, who was pulled from a nearby retention pond. Authorities said the investigation is still ongoing, but there is currently no indication of foul play.
St. Johns County Fire Rescue said they responded to a call around 7:15 p.m. on the 100 block of Crystal Sands Court. When first responders arrived at the scene, they located the child in the water.
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Despite immediate rescue efforts, the child was rushed to the hospital and later pronounced dead.
The heartbreaking incident adds to a growing concern across Florida, where child drownings continue to rise. Stacey Hoaglund, President of the Autism Society of Florida, spoke about the broader context of this tragedy.
“Last year we broke a record with 105 children, and we’re already at 84 this year, so it’s not looking good,” said Hoaglund.
In Northeast Florida alone, nine child drownings have been reported so far this year — seven more than at this time last year.
“Child drowning would go down if everyone had the layers of protection in place,” Hoaglund said.
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She outlined those protective measures, which include constant supervision, secure locks or alarms on doors, proper fencing around pools and yards, swimming lessons, and CPR training for caregivers.
“The biggest factor seems to be that people don’t think it can happen to them because they are a good parent,” she added.
According to Hoaglund, more than 60% of the children who have drowned this year were under the age of three.
At this time, officials have not released details about how the child ended up in the pond or whether they had any special needs.,
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