A large family gathering in Duluth Township turned tragic late Thursday afternoon when a 1-year-old boy was found lifeless in an inflatable pool at a home on Old North Shore Road. He was pronounced dead later at a Duluth hospital.
Sgt. Wade Rasch of the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office said the boy apparently climbed an A-frame ladder providing access to the pool while no one was using it.
"It appears he climbed it on his own," Rasch said. He said the boy was found in three feet of water.
First responders arrived and could not find vital signs for the boy, Rasch said. He was later pronounced dead at Essentia Health St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth.
Gold Cross Ambulance responded and a plan was put in place for a helicopter transfer but it was abandoned after reports from first responders at the scene.
