'Devastating': 1-Year-Old Angelo Nicoloro Drowned During Wrentham Father's Day Celebration
WRENTHAM (CBS) – A Wrentham family is mourning the death of 1-year-old Angelo Nicoloro, who drowned Saturday during a family Father's Day celebration.
It happened around 8 p.m. at a home on Hillside Drive in Wrentham. Family members were gathering at the home to celebrate Father's Day, when they realized Angelo had fallen into an above-ground pool. The family had gotten the pool two weeks ago.
"You don't think it's going to happen, especially when you have so many people in the general area. Like who could miss this, you always think," said Wrentham Police Chief Bill McGrath.
Bellingham firefighters were first on scene, followed by a Wrentham Police officer. Despite rescue efforts by family members and first responders, Angelo was pronounced dead at an area hospital.
McGrath said it can take just seconds for tragedy to strike when it comes to children and pools. In this case, McGrath said family members all thought someone else had eyes on Angelo.
"It is devastating," McGrath said. "It only takes a few seconds of opportunity for folks to find their way into a pool. I've said this before that they're curious, they're intelligent, they see that pool day in and day out as nothing but fun. There's no perception of danger associated in their little head. Every time they try to get to it by themselves, an adult gets in their way and they're not able to get to it. So just like every any little kid, they wait for an opening. That opening can just be seconds."
McGrath said he urges families to treat swimming pools like having a bonfire in their yard and never take their eyes off children who are nearby.
"Everyone blames themselves when it comes to the family. There just isn't any blame," said McGrath about Angelo's drowning. "No one today is having the Father's Day they thought they were going to have yesterday."
Angelo was the youngest of seven siblings.
McGrath said the family is turning to their faith to cope with this tragedy. "Angelo will never know what a bad day is. He was so young and so happy, sin-free, bad-day free. Just pure. She believes now, and the family does, he's the saint now praying for them," he said.