Five Drownings Reported In Massachusetts Since Friday
BOSTON (CBS) -- Summer weather in New England has unfortunately brought with it a tragic string of drownings as people head to the water for relief from the heat. In Massachusetts, there have been five drownings reported since Friday, and a sixth incident has left a teenager in critical condition.
In Worcester on Friday afternoon, police rushed to Green Hill Pond after 911 callers reported three children struggling in the water. Five officers immediately jumped into the pond. Worcester Police Officer Enmanuel "Manny" Familia, 38, died trying to save 14-year-old Troy Love, who also drowned.
In Plymouth on Saturday afternoon, a jet ski operator found a man in the water at White Island Pond and brought him to shore. First responders performed CPR, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. His name has not yet been released.
At Quincy's Mound Street Beach on Sunday afternoon, 19-year-old Elissandro Silva of Brockton drowned after he went under the water to retrieve a ball. A civilian dive team that was in the area got Silva out of the water, but he was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Later on Sunday in Amesbury, a 16-year-old boy was pulled from Lake Gardner. Paramedics performed CPR and the boy was rushed to the hospital, but police said Monday thathe did not survive. Lake Gardner Beach will be closed for several days as police investigate.
A 17-year-old remains in critical condition after a "possible drowning incident" in Dedham early Sunday morning. It happened in a backyard pool at a graduation party on Netta Road. He is in a Boston hospital, and police are still investigating what happened.
In May, just before Memorial Day, a 16-year-old boy died on May 26 while using the rope swing at Learned Pond in Framingham. One day later, a 39-year-old Quincy man drowned while visiting Houghton's Pond in Milton with his son after chasing a soccer ball into the water.
Gov. Charlie Baker over the weekend talked about summer safety and urged residents to swim at places where lifeguards are on duty.
"If you're not in a place that is supervised, you ought to make sure you're there with other people who can keep an eye on you and who can spot you," he said. "You shouldn't get outside the bounds of what I would call your capacity or your skill set."
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health notes that drowning is the leading cause of death among young children in the state and nationwide, especially in backyard pools. Children should be supervised in and around the water at all times, the department says.