That's what happened yesterday to the family of Issah Lopez, age four, who was found dead in a community pool located in Thornton.
Below, see what we know so far about the incident and a little boy who didn't survive to receive a special gift from his uncle: a mini-pool of his own.
At 2:56 p.m. on Sunday, according to the Thornton Police Department, police and fire personnel were called to the Pine Lakes Ranch Mobile Home Community's clubhouse pool, located at 4210 E. 100th Avenue.
The report: a possible child drowning victim.By the time authorities arrived, people at the pool had removed the boy from the water and initiated CPR, but to no avail. The boy could not be revived.
TPD rep Officer Matt Barnes notes that the child was at the pool with "numerous" family members among the sort of throng you'd expect on a hot pre-summer day -- approximately fifty people. Yet somehow, he managed to get from the child pool to the adult pool without anyone noticing until he was floating at the surface, face down.
The police stress that the investigation remains open, meaning there's at least the possibility of neglect charges in the case. Likewise, autopsy results are pending on the boy, who has not yet been officially identified. However, family members subsequently ID'd him to 9News as Issah Lopez.The station spoke with Chris Barnett, his uncle, who says Issah had a habit of taking off his life preserver at pools, so he could be like the big kids.
Barnett wasn't present at the pool yesterday. But he showed a 9News correspondent a present he'd purchased for Issah due to the boy's love of playing in the water:
The family is understandably bereft at this terrible loss, but Barnett chose to step forward anyhow in order to convey one simple message: "Watch your children."Look below to see the 9News report.
More from our The Latest Word archive: "Videos: Remembering Tim Samaras, storm chaser killed in tornado alongside son, partner."
