2-year-old Mastic Beach boy in critical condition after being found unresponsive in a pool

A toddler was in critical condition Friday morning after he was discovered unresponsive in a pool in Mastic Beach, police said.

A relative found the boy, 2, shortly after 11:15 in an in-ground pool at his Mayfield Road home, Suffolk police said in a news release. The family member took the boy out of the water and began performing CPR, which Suffolk police officers continued before Mastic Beach Volunteer Ambulance personnel arrived.

The child was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital in critical condition, police said.

Suffolk police detectives are investigating the incident.

Appointing a designated person to watch those in the water, erecting a fence or other barrier around pools and outfitting children with Coast Guard-approved life jackets are among the precautions Long Islanders can take to prevent drownings, Newsday previously reported.

About 125 New Yorkers died by drowning in 2024 according to the most recent data available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nationwide, drowning is the leading cause of death for children between ages 1 and 4. Nonfatal drownings can cause “brain damage or permanent disability,” according to the CDC.