Victim of a silent killer: Little Aria drowned in backyard pool
A Sydney family is in mourning after the death of a 22-month-old girl in the backyard pool.
The Dunn family were spending their first summer in their new Raby home when tragedy struck on Sunday afternoon.
Twenty-month-old Aria had been inside with her parents, Craig and Hollie Dunn and her older brother when the family realised she was missing just after 4pm.
Aria’s father Craig pulled his lifeless daughter from the fenced pool and despite the CPR attempts of family and neighbours, the little girl could not be revived.
Alarmingly, Aria’s death comes after 27 near drownings in NSW pools in just the first 12 days of December.
“It’s terrible. They come to the hospital, everything, their world has just changed,” Sydney Children’s Hospital spokesperson Mary McCaskill said, fighting back tears.
“The damage occurs within minutes, so it’s really important.”
Just 24 hours before Aria’s death, another toddler was dragged from his backyard pool in Castle Hill.
The 22-month-old is still clinging to life at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
Authorities say pool fences can give parents a false sense of security, with faulty latches one of the many ways children can access the fenced off areas.
Royal Lifesaving spokesperson Michael Ilinsky said Aria’s death shows how quickly tragedy can occur.
“It’s a tragic reminder to pool owners and parents of young children about how lethal a swimming pool can be,” Mr Ilinsky said.
“A supervised child does not drown.”
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Little Aria’s death comes just one month after a Queensland family farewelled sisters who were found hugging each other at the bottom of the Brisbane pool.
The girls’ mother Renise Young fought back tears as she issued a warning for other parents.
“They were helpless, it was devastating,” she said, fighting back tears. "No mother should go through this."
