Deputies: 3-year-old boy drowns in pool in Pine Hills

A 3-year-old boy died after falling into a backyard pool near Pine Hills Thursday afternoon, an Orange County sheriff’s spokesman said.

The boy’s mother called 911 just before 2 p.m., sheriff’s spokesman Jeff Williamson said.

When deputies arrived, she was performing CPR on the child. Deputies took over life-saving efforts until Orange County Fire Rescue officials arrived and took the boy to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.

The boy died at the hospital.

The medical examiner’s officer will determine what caused the boy’s death, Williamson said.

Neighbors on Elderwood Court described the boy’s family as quiet residents who moved into the house about three years ago.

“They’re real friendly, real nice,” neighbor Lee Brown said. “It’s really surprising to me.”

They do not usually leave the children unattended, Brown said.

The boy’s mother often walks around the neighborhood with a stroller, neighbors said.

glotan@orlandosentinel.com