An investigation is currently unfolding after the drowning of a 1-year-old girl at a home day care in the Bronx was reported. The tragic event occurred last Friday at Ana's Butterfly Garden Family Group, as indicated by ABC7 New York. The child, River Wilson, was found in an above-ground pool after managing to leave the house unsupervised.
River's parents, Ima and Ifiok Wilson, are seeking clarity, questioning the day care's supervision and safety protocols. "What happened to my sweet baby?" Ima Wilson lamented in a News 12 interview. Their grief has been compounded by the lack of communication from the day care facility, which has not provided any further details or explanations regarding their daughter's death, as reported by the New York Post.
The day care operator, a 47-year-old woman, told police she had been cooking at the time the child accessed the pool. The woman believed she was away from River for approximately 20 minutes. While preliminary investigations suggest no criminality, both the city health department and the state's Office of Children and Family Services are taking part in the active investigation.
A former police officer who was visiting a neighbor at the time, intervened upon hearing the commotion. "There was screaming, yelling, howling," he shared with NBC4. Despite his efforts to perform CPR, the girl could not be revived and was pronounced dead at Montefiore-Einstein Medical Center. The official cause of death is pending a medical examiner's report, the New York Post reported.
The Wilson family, meanwhile, in remembering their daughter as "a beautiful, joyful baby-full of wonder, light, and laughter" has set up a GoFundMe to honor River's memory. As the investigation continues, no arrests have been made to date, as per ABC7 New York.
