Daughter of Ave Maria Dean of Students drowns in family pond

AVE MARIA, Fla. (WINK) — The 1-year-old daughter of the Dean of Students at Ave Maria University drowned in a backyard pond on Sunday, according to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.

CCSO deputies responded to a home on Ferrari Ave. in Ave Maria around 3:25 p.m. after receiving reports of a drowning.

An adult with the girl told deputies he and the children were playing soccer in the backyard when he realized he hadn’t seen the 1-year-old in about 15 minutes.

The man said he began searching for the girl and found her approximately three feet from the shoreline in the pond behind the house. He went into the water, retrieved the child, and had one of the other children call 911 while he attempted CPR.

CCSO said the child’s parents returned home shortly after. Deputies report the father’s name as Daniel Lendman, the Dean of Students at Ave Maria University.

Collier County EMS transported the girl to NCH North East. The Department of Children and Families was notified, and a detective responded to the scene.

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