6-year-old Ja’Kye Joseph and 5-year-old Branario Minto were found dead after drowning in their apartment complex pool.
The siblings were found face down by neighbors at around 9:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, and they rushed to pull the boys out of the water.
via People:
“I ran over there and saw two children laying on the side of the pool, the kids were on the floor and they were giving them CPR,” a neighbor told CBS4.
Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire Rescue paramedics attempted to revive the brothers, who were non-responsive. The boys were pronounced dead after being taken to Northwest Medical Center, according to police.
Their mother, Wildine Joseph, said she was asleep when the drowning occurred.
“I’m so sorry. If I was there I could have saved them on time,” she said, according to Local 10 News. Joseph added, “I will always miss my babies. I’m sorry, Ja’Kye. I’m sorry, Branario. They’re only 5, and they’re only 6.”
The boys reportedly were unable to swim, and their mother speculated that they snuck out and jumped a fence to get into the pool area.
A neighbor told Local 10 News that the apartment complex pool is a popular spot for children, and there are often “more kids than adults.”
Police are still investigating the incident, and are asking anyone that may have seen the boys near the pool to provide information.
Additionally, Child Protective Investigations Section removed a 4-month-old child and 1-year-old child from the home as part of their investigation, according to the sheriff’s release.
This breaks our hearts. Due in large part to the United States’ history of institutional racism, Black kids drown at rates three times higher than white children — and that needs to change.
