North Naples infant dies after drowning in vacation rental pool

NORTH NAPLES, Fla. (WINK) — An infant boy drowned in a backyard pool at a vacation rental home on Sixth Street North and 96th Avenue.

The Collier County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Department of Children and Families are investigating the tragedy. The family, who was renting the home for vacation, called 911 late Tuesday night in a hysterical plea for help.

"The baby drowned, the baby drowned. Can you please hurry up? Please Please," a family member said in the 911 call.

Neighbor Angel Roubin noticed something was wrong when she saw emergency vehicles blocking intersections in her normally quiet neighborhood.

"At each intersection, there was just police blocked off, and it was like 11 o'clock at night, and so I'm like, I don't know what's going on here. So, they were all in front of the house, lined up, like five SUVs, police walking around with vests, fire engines, and paramedics," Roubin said. "I think there were like 12 emergency vehicles here."

The family told 911 dispatchers the infant had fallen in the pool, but they did not know how long he had been in the water. After several attempts at CPR and being rushed to Naples Children's Hospital, the infant boy did not survive.

Terri Ballo, president of the Florida Drowning Prevention Foundation, said this is a devastating reality that happens too often.

"Not only is it difficult for the family, but it's difficult for the owner of the property, and I think that if people are going to rent homes that have pools, there needs to be maybe more strict laws that the family has to put in a baby fence, they have to have working door alarms, they have to have locks that are high up on the door that a child can't reach," Ballo said.

Roubin said she could only pray for comfort in a situation like this.

"There sounds like there's so much pain in that woman's voice, and I'm even like, I've stayed in Airbnbs in this neighborhood visiting family, and to imagine being on vacation and just having to deal with that. I'm heartbroken hearing that," Roubin said. "I feel for the family and everyone involved, and just hope that they can find some peace."