In a story that has become all too familiar in South Florida, a 3-year-old boy walked out the back door of his grandmother’s house as his adult relatives napped Saturday afternoon and drowned in the backyard swimming pool.
Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies and North Lauderdale Fire Rescue were called to the home of Marie Enith Mesidor in North Lauderale on Saturday when family members told detectives that Mesidor’s daughter and grandson, 3-year-old Metzden Cenord, had been napping in a bedroom when the child asked his mother, Woodnide Cenord, if he could go to another bedroom to see his uncle.
His mother granted permission and watched the child walk to the other room. But apparently, the uncle was also napping, so the child was left unsupervised. Metzden went out a sliding-glass door and a screen door and somehow ended up in the pool.
When the adults realized he was missing, they saw his shoes floating on the surface of the pool. His uncle jumped into the water, pulled Metzden out and began CPR. Paramedics arrived, continued CPR and transported Metzden to the Coral Springs Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 2:28 p.m. BSO detectives are investigating the drowning
The number one cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 in Broward County is drowning. For information on how to prevent child drownings, visit www.sheriff.org/safety/drowningprevent or call BSO at (954) 831-8210.