This past Sunday evening, Guthrie Fire responded to the 400 block of West Industrial Road in Guthrie shortly after 5:00pm to a report of a drowned toddler.
Sgt. Anthony Gibbs of Guthrie PD, handling media inquiries for Guthrie Fire, stated that the family of the 18-month-old boy was in Guthrie visiting relatives for Easter. There were several children there. The kids were all playing in the family’s backyard, where there was an above-ground pool surrounded by a deck. The pool was still covered as the family had not yet opened it for swimming.
“The kids were up and down on the deck while they were playing, and they noticed the boy was missing. They also noticed a hole in the cover, and they discovered the boy in the water,” Gibbs said. “We aren’t sure how long he had been in the water.”
When Guthrie Fire responded they immediately began to work on the boy, and he was taken by ground transport to Mercy Hospital Logan County. “The helicopters were unavailable [to transport the toddler more quickly to another facility] due to incoming weather,” Gibbs explained.
Unfortunately, medical personnel were unable to resuscitate him, and he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Gibbs says that at this time, no foul play is expected; it appears that this was just a tragic accident.