06-18-2006, 06:43 PM
A Henrietta family is mourning the loss of a 3-year-old boy who smiled with his whole face and liked to get big hugs and squeezes.
Jaden Fournier died Thursday evening after falling into an above-ground swimming pool at his home on Green Clover Drive.
Roughly once a year a child 10 or younger drowns in Monroe County, said Dr. Andrew Doniger, the county's health director. Often the situation is the same, said Doniger: A child is unsupervised for just a few minutes and falls or trips into a pool.
"For children younger than age 5, this is almost always the story," he said.
In Thursday's case, "the parents had taken measures to restrict the boy's access to the pool area by placing a number of barriers in the way.
But the boy was able to overcome those," said Cpl. John Helfer, a spokesman for the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.
The pool was connected to the back of the house by a wooden deck, he said.
"It appears that the young boy walked off the deck into the pool," said Helfer.
Deputies are continuing to review the case.
Jaden's mother, Jessica Fournier, couldn't bring herself to talk about the accident Friday.
However, she did talk about her son's love of Elmo and of toys that made sounds and had flashing lights.
Jaden was autistic and couldn't speak, she said, and he had in-home therapy every day.
Still, Jaden and his 5-year-old brother found ways to stay close.
"We always told Tyler that Jaden had special words," Fournier said, "so Tyler would imagine what Jaden was saying.
When Tyler said "Good morning' he would imagine that Jaden said "Good morning" back.
"They loved each other and Tyler misses Jaden now."
For children Jaden's age, a pool is the most common place for drownings, said Doniger.
"Obviously it's the very young who die in bathtubs," he said. "Adolescents are more likely to drown in a lake, pond or stream."
There are self-closing gates and doors to help with safety around pools, as well as alarms that alert adults when there are waves in a pool, Doniger said.
He also said adults should never allow children to swim when a pool is partially covered because children can swim beneath the covering and then not be able to come up for air.
"And young children should always be supervised regardless of how well they swim," said Doniger.
From democrate and chronicle.com
Jaden Fournier died Thursday evening after falling into an above-ground swimming pool at his home on Green Clover Drive.
Roughly once a year a child 10 or younger drowns in Monroe County, said Dr. Andrew Doniger, the county's health director. Often the situation is the same, said Doniger: A child is unsupervised for just a few minutes and falls or trips into a pool.
"For children younger than age 5, this is almost always the story," he said.
In Thursday's case, "the parents had taken measures to restrict the boy's access to the pool area by placing a number of barriers in the way.
But the boy was able to overcome those," said Cpl. John Helfer, a spokesman for the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.
The pool was connected to the back of the house by a wooden deck, he said.
"It appears that the young boy walked off the deck into the pool," said Helfer.
Deputies are continuing to review the case.
Jaden's mother, Jessica Fournier, couldn't bring herself to talk about the accident Friday.
However, she did talk about her son's love of Elmo and of toys that made sounds and had flashing lights.
Jaden was autistic and couldn't speak, she said, and he had in-home therapy every day.
Still, Jaden and his 5-year-old brother found ways to stay close.
"We always told Tyler that Jaden had special words," Fournier said, "so Tyler would imagine what Jaden was saying.
When Tyler said "Good morning' he would imagine that Jaden said "Good morning" back.
"They loved each other and Tyler misses Jaden now."
For children Jaden's age, a pool is the most common place for drownings, said Doniger.
"Obviously it's the very young who die in bathtubs," he said. "Adolescents are more likely to drown in a lake, pond or stream."
There are self-closing gates and doors to help with safety around pools, as well as alarms that alert adults when there are waves in a pool, Doniger said.
He also said adults should never allow children to swim when a pool is partially covered because children can swim beneath the covering and then not be able to come up for air.
"And young children should always be supervised regardless of how well they swim," said Doniger.
From democrate and chronicle.com