💔 4-year-old boy dead in tragic pool drowning

💔 Drownings are a leading cause of death among young children

💔 Another child was found dead in Fort Lee on Saturday


NORTH BRUNSWICK — The deaths of two children in New Jersey that both happened on Saturday are under investigation.

A 4-year-old boy tragically drowned in a pool at a North Brunswick home on Saturday, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone.

Police were called to the home around 7:45 p.m. after a child was found in the pool. The caller said the child wasn't breathing.

The boy was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

North Brunswick police vehicle
North Brunswick police vehicle (North Brunswick Police)
loading...

Ciccone and North Brunswick police Chief Joseph Battaglia in a joint statement urged the public to make sure that children are safe when near water.

"Our hearts are heavy with this tragic loss. We extend our deepest condolences to the family during this incredibly difficult time," they said.

Drownings are leading cause of death for children

Children can drown in as little as one inch of water.

Accidental injuries are the leading cause of death for children ages 1 through 4, according to Stanford. And the most common among those deaths are accidental drownings.

Another 4-year-old boy drowned in his family's pool in the town of Woodcliff Lake last July. And a 1-year-old boy drowned in a residential pool in Spotswood last August.

In New Jersey, private in-ground pools are required to be enclosed with a locking gate and a fence at least four feet high.

Maple Street in Fort Lee (Google Maps)
Maple Street in Fort Lee (Google Maps)
loading...

Child dead in Fort Lee

Investigators are also looking into the death of a 12-year-old child in Fort Lee.

A call to police around 3:30 p.m. Saturday reported that a child was unresponsive, according to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella. First responders found the child at a home on Maple Street and took them to a nearby hospital.

The child was pronounced dead.

UPDATE: NJ woman charged in 12-year-old girl's tragic fatal overdose

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom

These NJ town are getting poorer

In these 20 municipalities in New Jersey, the median household income has decreased or grown the least in a decade. The data is based on U.S. Census' American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for the years 2012 and 2022.

Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt