Investigators call deaths of siblings found in pond 'tragic accident'

Toddlers dead after being found in pond

Two Seminole County toddlers, a brother and a sister, died after apparently falling into a pond. The mother of the children said they were both autistic and it was a love for a community pond that wound up costing them their lives in what investigators believe was a tragic accident.

LONGWOOD, Fla. - Two Seminole County toddlers, a brother, and a sister died after apparently falling into a neighborhood pond.

An investigative report reveals new details into the circumstances surrounding their drownings, believed to have been a tragic accident.

Seminole County deputies received a 911 call on Sunday night. When investigators arrived at the scene, a man in the home told investigators David, 2, and Davielle, 3, wandered out of the house around 7:15 p.m. 

The children's mother told investigators that both of her children are autistic and tend to gravitate toward the neighborhood pond. 

That first deputy that arrived at the home cleared the house while the next deputy headed straight to the pond.  The sheriff's office said one of the deputies found David floating in the water. The dive team found Davielle a few minutes later underwater.

Neighbors tell FOX 35 News it was a dramatic and heartbreaking scene. 

Both children were rushed to the hospital where they were pronounced dead a short time later. 

"My heart goes out to that family. Like to lose two little ones, it’s just amazing that I don’t think I could survive that," said neighbor Jeanna Malines.

A spokesperson for the Seminole County Sheriff's Office tells FOX 35 News that their hearts go out to the family of the siblings and their loved ones.

Tune in to FOX 35 Orlando for the latest Central Florida news.