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5-year-old who drowned in pond identified by police

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Officers are investigating a drowning on Jacksonville’s Westside.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said a 5-year-old girl drowned in a retention pond near the home she was visiting on Lambing Road.

Officers said the incident happened around 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

Officers say Dana Windham, who is developmentally disabled, was playing with about four or five friends, including a couple of teenagers, and somehow separated from the group. The group was playing in the backyard, about 100 yards from the retention pond, said authorities.

Adults started searched for Windham when the group came inside without her. JSO was also called and just as officers responded, police say one of the adults found her floating in the pond.

"They're calling very loudly, screaming, calling for somebody," said Marilyn Williams, who witnessed the incident unfold.

Officers administered CPR and she was taken to Orange Park Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.

Neighbors told Action News there used to be a fence that wrapped around the pond, but it got old and came down several years ago.

"They really probably need to get some fence or some kind of grounding around it," said resident Luciana Robertson.

“Right now we're trying to get consent to go back and process the scene, and in the process of interviewing some of the witnesses that were here at the time when the child went into the pond,” said JSO Sgt. Jay Farhat.

A representative with the Department of Children and Families told Action News an investigator will check on the situation involving the other kids living at the home.

WJAX

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