Drowning shatters family gathering

A 3-year-old girl died Saturday after drowning in an apartment swimming pool.

According to police, the girl, Alaeyah Jones, was visiting relatives at the Broadstone Ahwatukee Fairways apartment complex in the 13220 block of South 48th Street, for a family gathering, when she somehow managed to slip into the pool unnoticed.

"It was a barbecue type setting," said Phoenix Fire Department Capt. Victor Rangel. "People got preoccupied with what they were doing and lost sight of the toddler."

It's unknown how long Jones was in the pool, despite the large number of adults and children in the area at the time.

Family members began CPR immediately and firefighters quickly arrived, but the toddler died at the hospital.

"A couple inches of water is a potential hazard for a toddler," Rangel said, adding that when a child drowning occurs it's often silent, as they slip to the bottom. "You would think there would be a lot of thrashing, but it's really silent."

Rangel encouraged parents to teach their children to swim as early as possible, maintain barriers around pools and always have someone designated to watch children around the pool.

"It can happen anywhere," Rangel said.

Phoenix police officers interviewed witnesses and no charges are pending.

"It was just a tragic accident," said Detective Cindy Scott, a spokeswoman for the department.

It was the first drowning in Ahwatukee Foothills and the second in Maricopa County so far this year.