Toddler's fatal pool drowning is third on Long Island in a week

A toddler who was found unresponsive in a Mastic Beach pool last week has died, the third fatal drowning on Long Island in one week, Suffolk County police said. 

On July 20 at about 4:50 p.m., a 2-year-old girl was discovered unresponsive in a pool at her Mill Drive home. The child was removed from the pool and a family member performed CPR until first responders arrived, police said.

The toddler was taken to NYU Langone Hospital — Suffolk in Patchogue in critical condition and then to Stony Brook University Hospital.

In a news release on Monday, Suffolk police said the child died at the hospital on Thursday. The name of the girl was not released. 

The announcement comes days after a 3-year-old was found unresponsive in a residential swimming pool in Central Islip. He was taken to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore where he was declared dead.

On Thursday, afternoon a 73-year-old woman was pronounced dead after found unresponsive in a Huntington pool.

The drownings follow several near drownings in Suffolk County this summer.  

On Sunday, Suffolk County police said a 13-year-old was rescued around 8:25 p.m. from a backyard pool on Biltmore Drive in Mastic. He was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital where he is expected to make a full recovery, police said. 

Last month another 2-year-old boy was in critical condition after he was found unresponsive in in a pool in Mastic Beach.

In the days following the incident, the toddler was “awake and conscious” and was “expected to make a full recovery” a Suffolk police spokesperson told Newsday.

About 125 New Yorkers drowned in 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children between ages 1 and 4 across the United States.

Appointing a designated watcher over those in the water, building a fence or other barrier around pools and outfitting children with Coast Guard-approved life jackets are among the precautions experts say Long Islanders should take to prevent drownings.

To read about the best methods for swimming safety, click here.

Newsday's Nicholas Grasso contributed to this story.