As Police Probe Girl's Drowning, Father Searches For Answers

BALDWIN, PA - As Allegheny County Police continue to investigate the drowning death of a 7-year-old girl in a private pool in Baldwin, the victim’s father continues to seek answers about how she died.

Kharga Basnet told WPXI-TV he thought his daughter, Jessica Basnet, was at Walmart with a caregiver. Instead, she was found in an above-ground pool at an Elmwood Drive residence that she and others were using while the owners were away.

An adult woman was watching the child at the time but left her unsupervised for several minutes, according to borough police chief Michael Scott.

The owners of the swimming pool, who were out of town vacationing when the July 19 incident occurred, said neighbors told them that their next-door neighbors threw a party and were using the pool without their permission.

Basnet told WPXI he doesn’t believe Jessica just wandered off from the neighbor’s home because she was wearing a swimsuit and he hadn’t purchased one for her.

Photo: Getty Images.

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