2-Year-Old Girl Dies In Apparent Drowning In West Newbury Pond

WEST NEWBURY (CBS) -- A two-year-old girl died in an apparent drowning in a West Newbury pond on Sunday afternoon.

The girl was pulled from Mill Pond on Main Street shortly before 1 p.m. West Newbury police officers, firefighters and Atlantic Ambulance responded to the report of a critically injured young child.

At a news conference early Sunday evening, Police Chief Art Reed said first responders performed CPR on the unresponsive girl, who was located on the west side of the pond.

In a statement released Sunday night, Fire Chief Michael Dwyer said, "This has been a sad day for our community and for our first responders."

"Tragically, and despite the best efforts of our highly trained medical personnel, we later learned that the child did not survive," said the fire chief.

People at the pond were stunned at the news.

"It's very unfortunate," visitor Alex Wong told WBZ-TV's Jim Smith.

Jason Lake, who was spending time at the pond with his family, told WBZ, "It's awful...It's sad."

While walking his dog along the pond Sunday evening, West Newbury resident Doug Geiger said he was "shocked," adding that he saw first responders arriving on scene.

As of late Sunday night, police had not identified the girl.

Her death isn't being considered suspicious and remains under investigation by West Newbury Police and State Police, according to the Essex District Attorney's Office.