Jacksonville Drowning of Mother and Child in Community Pool

A young Jacksonville mother and her child were found drowned this week and there are many unanswered questions.

The 18-year-old mother and her 18-month-old daughter were found just after noon in a subdivision community pool in Arlington, according to articles in the Florida Times Union. The pool area is usually locked. The woman was said to be an accomplished swimmer. An unidentified 18-year-old man was found at the scene and hospitalized. He had reportedly ingested a great deal of chlorinated pool water and appeared in shock and was naked. Investigators will be anxious to talk to him to determine if there was any foul play in this Jacksonville Wrongful Death Accident.

See the Florida Times Union's most recent article here:

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/crime/2009-07-10/story/homicide_detectives_still_waiting_to_talk_to_jacksonville_man_foun

Florida leads the nation in the number of drowning accidents of children between the ages of one to four. In 2006, there were 72 drowning deaths of children under the age of four. Duval County is among the counties with the highest number of drowning deaths, according to state statistics.

Some neighbors, who are still in shock, wonder if lightning might have struck nearby. July is the deadliest month for lightning strikes in Florida and we are reminded that lightning strikes can precede a storm. Already this year, two people in Central Florida have been killed by lightning. It happened at a picnic in Lakeland, Florida where the conditions were described as sunny with a slight drizzle.

Having gone through the loss of a niece who was the same age my heart goes out to the family.