14-month-old baby dies shortly after being found in pool

A family from D’Edward Village, West Coast Berbice has been thrown into a state of shock and mourning after a 14-month-old baby died shortly after he was found motionless in a pool.

Alana Gomes, a relative of the deceased toddler, told News Room that the unfortunate incident occurred between 16:00-17:00 hrs.

Dead is Deon Lalsa.

Gomes disclosed that the toddler was at home with his mother Katija Seecharran, 29, and his 6-year-old brother. Seecharran reportedly left the toddler with her 6-year-old son on a mattress in the bottom flat area of the home and stepped inside the bottom flat to use the washroom.

News Room understands that the grandmother visited the home and as she entered the house, she inquired from Seecharran, who was just stepping out of the washroom, where the baby was.

They both went outside and the baby was nowhere to be found; the 6-year-old was in the hammock playing games on the phone.

Within minutes, the grandmother spotted the baby motionless in the pool. The pool, Gomes said, was filled by the eldest brother, a 10-year-old, earlier in the day for him to play in. The filled pool was left there after he went with his father, Devendra Lalsa, to watch the cricket match at the stadium.

Gomes said that when the mother and grandmother pulled the baby from the water they immediately rushed him to the Fort Wellington Hospital. At the hospital medical professionals admitted the infant.

“The monitor showed heartbeat,” Gomes related.

However, the child subsequently died.

The body of the toddler has since been moved to the Anthony’s Funeral Home where a post mortem is expected to be conducted on Wednesday. The Police are also investigating the incident.