TOLEDO, Ohio — The 11-year-old Toledo boy who was found in the city of Toledo’s Roosevelt Pool on Monday has died, according to the boy’s family.
Toledo police say Dante Toney jumped the fence at the Roosevelt Pool on Dorr Street near the Mott Branch Library on Monday. The pool was not open at the time, according to the city of Toledo's website.
Toney was rushed to the hospital in critical condition after the drowning occurred.
According to a police report, crews arrived on scene and found Toney unresponsive.
They began administering life-saving measures until Toledo Fire and Rescue crews arrived. Toney was taken to the hospital in what police described in the report as critical condition.
Police did not specify when on Monday evening the drowning happened. Multiple Toledo police vehicles were seen outside of the pool at about 5:30 p.m. and the scene cleared just before 6:30 p.m.
On Saturday evening, members of the community gathered at the pool to release balloons in Toney’s honor.
His mother, Porsche King, said Toney was an active boy who was loved by everyone he met.
"My son was loved by a lot of people and he played sports, you know, boxing. He did a lot of things. He meant a lot to a lot of people. He really did. He was special," said King.
Explorer's Academy of Science and Technology, where Toney went to school, said they would be dedicating Dante's 5th grade classroom at the school in his honor. Toney would have been a 6th grader this year.
On Tuesday, the city provided a statement Tuesday on the incident and announced that Roosevelt Pool will be closed for the season:
We are deeply heartbroken by the tragic incident at Roosevelt Pool, where an 11-year-old boy climbed the locked fence after hours and nearly drowned. Our hearts go out to the child and his family during this incredibly difficult time and we remain hopeful he’ll make a full recovery.
Our pools are intended to be places of joy and recreation, where children and families can create happy memories. This incident has profoundly affected all of us and we are committed to doing everything we can to support the family and reassure the community this will never happen again.
In light of this devastating event, we’ve made the difficult decision to close Roosevelt Pool for the season a few days earlier than planned, out of respect for the boy’s family. A full investigation is being conducted to ensure our safety measures are as strong as they can be.
We will continue to work tirelessly to protect our children and families and to provide safe and joyful recreational spaces for our residents.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify the incident was a near drowning.
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