WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Detectives continue to investigate the deaths of two toddlers who drowned in a backyard pool Wednesday afternoon in Belle Glade.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said a 2- and 3-year-old were playing in a screened-in patio but wandered onto a neighbor's property.
Family members said their grandmother was cleaning a house nearby.
Officials said out of the 362 child deaths reported by the Florida Department of Children and Families this year, so far nearly a quarter of the deaths are from drowning.
Since June in Palm Beach County, two children's drownings have been reported by DCF.
A representative from the Drowning Prevention Coalition said the most important thing adults can do is make sure there are layers of protection like fencing and supervision around aquatic areas.
Palm Beach County's Drowning Prevention Coalition is also offering free or reduced-cost swim lessons for eligible children.
