5-Year-Old Found Dead In North Jersey Swimming Pool

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — A Wayne boy has been pronounced dead after apparently drowning in a residential swimming pool, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office announced.

On Friday, around 6:30 p.m., police responded to Armstrong Avenue and Maple Lane in Wayne on a report of a possible drowning.

Witnesses told police that a five-year-old was found floating, unresponsive, in a residential pool after leaving his residence at around 5:30 p.m. He was not accompanied by an adult, according to authorities.

The boy was rushed to Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains, where he was pronounced dead at around 7:45 p.m.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing, and no further details have been made available at this time. Authorities ask that anyone with additional information contact 1-877-370-PCPO or tips@passaiccountynj.org.

This is the second instance of a young child drowning in the area in days, after another Passaic County five-year-old was found dead in a swimming pool last week.

Drowning is the second leading cause of death for children ages five to 14, following motor vehicle accidents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is the leading cause of death for children ages one to four.