Toddler Dies After Being Pulled From Berkeley Pool: Prosecutor

BERKELEY, NJ — A 4-year-old boy who was pulled from a pool in the South Seaside Park section of Berkeley Township Friday has died, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

The boy died on Sept. 2 at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Billhimer said.

He had been hospitalized since Aug. 30, when he was pulled from the pool following an accidental submersion at about 3:30 p.m., Billhimer said.

The toddler was unresponsive when he was rescued from the pool, Billhimer said. Emergency life-saving measures were performed and he was taken to the hospital in Neptune.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with this child’s parents, family and friends at this most difficult time,” Billhimer said.

This death is the latest in a series of child submersions and drownings in New Jersey. The week prior, a 3-year-old died in Toms River after he was pulled from a backyard swimming pool. Read more: Child, 3, Dies After Being Pulled From Pool In Toms River: Police

Fatal drownings involving children are on the rise nationwide, with several reported since Memorial Day here in New Jersey.

In New Jersey, about one in five people who die due to drowning are kids 14 and younger, according to the state's Department of Health. For every child who drowns, another five children are hospitalized for nonfatal submersion injuries.