A 3-year-old girl has drowned in Lake County after Leesburg police said she walked out of her home while her mother was asleep and entered her neighbor's swimming pool.
Leesburg police, firefighters, Lake County emergency medical staff arrived just before 1 p.m. Thursday at a home on Bonnaire Drive to find the toddler lying on the back deck of the residence.
Police said the girl showed no vital signs, and medical personnel immediately began life-saving techniques. The toddler was then transported to Leesburg Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
The victim lived two doors away from the neighbor's home where she drowned. Investigators said she and her 4-year-old brother exited their home while their mother was asleep.
Police said the neighbors were at work when the children walked into their unfenced backyard and climbed into the pool from a ladder.
The girl's brother then realized his sister was in distress and ran next-door to get help from a maintenance worker there. The worker ran to the pool, removed the girl from the water and immediately called for help.
Police said the girl's mother, 23-year-old Chante Anthony, was awakened by emergency vehicles arriving at the scene and noticed her children weren't at home. That was when authorities told her of the situation.
Leesburg police said the Florida Department of Children and Families has also been notified of the drowning.