Tragic end to pool outing
Girl, 17, drowns; brother, 11, clings to life in Aurora
Rosa Ramirez, Rocky Mountain News
Published May 29, 2007 at midnight
A 17-year-old Aurora girl died on Memorial Day and her younger brother was clinging to life after Aurora firefighters pulled them from the swimming pool at their apartment building.
Aurora Police Detective Robert Friel said that little information surrounding the drowning was available because no witnesses were present at the time of the incident, but that there was some indication that the girl might have been trying to save her younger brother.
"The girl had on street clothes and the boy had a swimming suit. She might have tried to save him," he said.
The victims' names were not released Monday evening.
Friel said that police received a 911 call about 5:30 p.m. from a woman who was going for a swim at the apartment complex in the 9900 block of East Evans Avenue in Aurora.
Both youngsters were taken by ambulance to the Medical Center of Aurora, south campus, where the 11-year-old boy remained on life support, Friel said.
The girl was pronounced dead by hospital staff.
"This is an unbelievable tragedy. I can't imagine what they are going through," Friel said.
He said that the apartment pool manager had checked the pool shortly after 5 p.m. but found no one swimming or around the pool area.
The pool is surrounded by a 6-foot wooden fence, and the iron gate was locked when firefighters arrived.
Friel speculated that the youngsters had a key or jumped the fence.
About 7:45 p.m., the victims' parents and other relatives arrived home from work to hear the news about the children. One woman collapsed near the front door and wailed.
A victims advocate counselor was called to help the family, Friel said.
Neighbor Mohammad Hossain said that the family is from Ethiopia and had moved to the apartment complex about two or three months ago.
Hossain said the couple worked and kept mostly to themselves.
"This is very hard on them and on everybody," he said.
ramerizr@RockyMountainNews.com
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