GAYLORD — Troopers from the Michigan State Police Gaylord Post on July 6 responded to a report of a 1-year old male who was found unresponsive in a swimming pool by his mother.

The residence in Hayes Township has an above-ground pool and the toddler gained access by climbing the ladder. The toddler was outside with other children while the mother was inside the home. The other children were on the trampoline and did not see the toddler enter the pool. When the mother realized the toddler was missing, she found him floating, unresponsive in the pool.

The last time the toddler was seen before entering the pool was estimated at between 10 and 25 minutes. The child was taken to Munson Otsego Memorial Hospital and flown to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, where he was pronounced dead.

This is the third child to die from an accidental drowning in Otsego County in less than one month. The state police and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' Children’s Protective Services unit urge parents and guardians to take proper precautions when a child is near a body of water or there is a pool on the property.

To learn more about what you can do to reduce the risk of a child drowning visit www.childrenssafetynetwork.org.