5-year-old autistic girl drowns in Hitchcock pool

Child drowns in Hitchcock pool

A 5-year-old child with autism has died after drowning in her family's pool in Hitchcock. The incident is under investigation.

HITCHCOCK, Texas - A 5-year-old girl has drowned at her family's pool in Hitchcock.

Hitchcock police say the girl, who suffered from autism, wandered from her family's home in the 6800 block of West Bayou Road Tuesday afternoon.

The girl's father, who was at home with her, called 911 around 4:35 p.m. after he found her floating in their in-ground pool.

Officers arrived on the scene and performed CPR on the child. She was taken by ambulance to HCA Houston Healthcare Mainland Center Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Hitchcock Police Chief Wilmon Smith says the father was watching the girl, but told police that he went to another part of the house at one point and when he returned to the room she was gone.

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Shortly after that, he found her in the pool. The girl's mother was at work at the time of the drowning, Smith said.

While the drowning appears to be an accident, Hitchcock police are still investigating it.