TAMARAC, Fla. – The Broward Sheriff’s Office is reminding the public about the importance of children knowing how to swim after a 6-year-old boy drowned in a canal over the weekend.
According to BSO spokeswoman Miranda Grossman, someone called 911 shortly after 1 p.m. Saturday to report that the boy had gone missing from the 100 block of Ann Lee Lane in Tamarac.
Grossman said deputies and Tamarac Fire Rescue personnel responded to the area and the boy was found in a nearby canal.
Deputies pulled the boy from the water and provided life-saving measures before a BSO helicopter arrived to transport the boy to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“This incident really hurts and I really feel for the family,” neighbor Matthew Dinham said.
Grossman said BSO’s Homicide and Crime Scene units are investigating the circumstances surrounding the boy’s death, however foul play is not suspected.
According to Grossman, “drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death for children under the age of 5.”
BSO is encouraging people to click here for information on swim safety and how to sign up your children for free swim classes.