Area girl drowns in pool
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, July 17, 2002
Christian Keith and Rosellen Farrell had only completed adoption proceedings of their 2-year-old child a week ago.
Today, Maddison Elayne Farrell is dead.
The child, who would have celebrated her third birthday next week, was pronounced dead at the parents home, 55059 160th Street Tuesday afternoon.
According to a Mower County Sheriff's Department report, the child was found by her mother lying at the bottom of an above-ground swimming pool at the residence. The family lives south of Austin off U.S. Highway 218 along Mower County H.
According to the investigator's report, the child was playing in the front yard of the family's home, while other family members worked on a vehicle in the yard.
She apparently went to the swimming pool, took off her clothes, climbed a ladder and dove into the pool filled with approximately three feet of water.
She was missing for 10 minutes. Family members attempted to resuscitate the child and when sheriff's deputies arrived, they also attempted to revive her as well as a Gold Cross Ambulance Service crew sent to the scene.
Forty-five minutes later, a Mayo One air ambulance landed on the roadway in front of the residence and emergency services technicians also attempted to revive the little girl. The attempts failed and the child was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:07 p.m. Tuesday.
The child was in the pool alone at the time of the drowning, according to the investigation. An autopsy will be performed to confirm the cause of death, according to the Sheriff's Department report.
Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com