Police probing vandalism at site of near-drowning

Three days after helping to save a three-year-old boy who nearly drowned in their above-ground pool, a Val-des-Monts family has been victimized by vandals.

MRC des Collines police are investigating after one or more people damaged two vehicles at the home and the pool where the boy was found unconscious.

The vandalism occurred overnight Tuesday, police said.

“The police regret this unfortunate act committed against citizens who, at the time of the incident, were the first ones to quickly provide assistance to the toddler, thereby helping to keep him alive,” police said in a release.

There is no indication of any negligence on the part of the pool owners in the near-drowning, police added.

The boy was attending a Sunday afternoon birthday party at the home on chemin des Terres in Val-des-Monts, about 40 kilometres north of Ottawa, when, police say, he apparently “bypassed safety devices” to enter the pool. The residents immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which they continued until an ambulance arrived.

Police say about 10 minutes elapsed between when the boy was last seen and when he was found in the pool.

He was taken to Gatineau Hospital and later transferred to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa.

Police ask anyone with information about the vandalism to contact Sgt.-Det. Julie Bouthillier at 819-459-2422 ext. 3244 or anonymously at 1-844-477-2529.