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TAYLORSVILLE — A 19-month-old boy drowned Wednesday after police say he fell into a backyard pond.
About 11:30 a.m., Taylorsville police and Unified fire officials responded to reports of a possible drowning near 5500 S. 3400 west, said Taylorsville Police Sgt. Tracy Wyant. They arrived to find that the young boy had fallen into a backyard water feature — an in-ground pond with a waterfall.
CPR was performed on the boy at the scene by adults who found the boy and later by medical personnel, Wyant said. The boy was then taken to Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, where he was pronounced dead.
The boy and at least one of his parents were visiting with friends at the home, Wyant said. It's unclear whether anyone was in the backyard when the boy fell into the pond, he said.
It's also unknown how long the boy had been in the water before he was discovered.
"This is a tragic situation," he said. "Our hearts go out to the family and the friends."
Wyant said such tragedies hopefully will serve as reminders to parents of young children to be extra careful around water.
"Water features are inherently dangerous by virtue of the fact that they hold water, irrespective of the depth of the water — especially for young children and babies," he said.
Charges are pending an investigation of the incident, Wyant said.
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