'It was so sad:' Maine toddler dies in swimming pool at mobile home park, police say

GORHAM, Maine (WGME) — Police said a toddler died in a swimming pool at the Friendly Village mobile home park in Gorham, Maine.

Neighbors, who wish to remain anonymous, said they have no idea how the boy got past the safety measures in place that should have prevented the tragedy. They said they heard people frantically calling out to the child Wednesday around 6 p.m.

I thought they were searching for a dog at first," one neighbor said.That's when they told me that a little boy was missing," another neighbor said.

After a 40-minute search, someone spotted the boy in the community pool. The man who found the toddler jumped the fence, pulled him out of the water, and started CPR to try to revive him.

It was scary because we didn't know what was going to happen. We didn't know if he was going to make it or not. Everybody was worried. Everybody was scared," a neighbor said. "We were all praying for him to breathe."

Neighbors said EMTs tried for 40 minutes to save the boy's life.

The neighbors said have no idea how the child got past a five-foot fence and locked gate to reach the pool. One young man who lives there and used to work at the swimming pool said the gate was locked.

"It was locked up. It was locked up very well for that very reason. The chain on it was very thick. It didn't have any leeway to it," the man said.

Another neighbor said she would often see the boy and his older brother outside by themselves. She said the boy's father was at the pool as EMTs tried to revive his son.

"And he kept saying, 'I wish I watched him better,'" the neighbor said. "It was sad. It was so sad. It was so emotional for everybody, even the EMTs."

There are surveillance cameras at the pool that may show how the boy got inside the locked gate, which is about 400 feet from his home.

"It's heartbreaking. It's been on my mind since it happened," a neighbor said.

This is the second child death at Friendly Village. Police said a 13-year-old backed over 3-year-old William Tinkham, who was playing in the road, three years ago.

Maine State Police said it is assisting the Gorham Police Department with the investigation.

ncG1vNJzZmivmpawtcKNnKamZ56axLR7zZqroqeeYsSwvsudZqKsXayutHnSqGSsmZRiuqK1zZ5kraeUmbmmvoydoJ6rXZ67br%2FWoqSmoZ6cerG7zqVkmqxdoryjtcueZKGnnZp6sa3RpGSgp6Kdrq55wqGgpZxdmbKiwMdmoKeulajBqrPAraCopl2bv6qxzZ2jsmWmnrmtrcaeZJyoomKzqr7SrWSrnaOlvK%2BwxKuqZqqVqLC2sQ%3D%3D