7-year-old girl drowns during party at rented NJ house pool

A 7-year-old girl and a 47-year-old man lost their lives while trying to enjoy the water this weekend.

In Teaneck early Sunday evening, a 7-year-old girl died after being found at the bottom of an inground swimming pool in Teaneck that had been rented online. The girl was attending the party with relatives.

Police Chief Glenn M. O'Reilly said police were called to the house on Westervelt Place on a report of a missing girl around 6:05 p.m. CPR was administered and she was taken to Holy Name Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

O'Reilly did not disclose the girl's name.

"This is still an active investigation but it does appear to be a tragic accident. We express our sincere condolences to the family of the girl," O'Reilly said.

O'Reilly said several adults and children were at the party. He did not have an exact number but said it didn't appear to be a large number.

Seaside Heights drowning

A Pennsylvania man was pronounced dead at Community Medical Center in Toms River after being pulled from the ocean off Sheridan Avenue in Seaside Heights on Saturday night.

"Seaside Heights police responded and went in the water along with the fire department and their scuba unit," Seaside Heights police Chief Tommy Boyd told New Jersey 101.5. "By God's luck he popped back up, we got 'em. They were working on him on the beach and they got into an ambulance but he died at the hospital."

Boyd said the man went into the water after lifeguards were off duty. There was also a moderate risk of rip currents with waves 2-4 feet and winds gusting to 24 mph from the south.

The drownings are the 14th and 15th in New Jersey since April. The most recent incidents include:

• Rowan baseball player Nathaniel Figueroa, 21, of Vineland, drowned at Corsons Inlet State Park in Ocean City on June 17 when he likely got caught in a rip current.
• A 55-year-old man drowned in his backyard pool on Brian Court in River Vale on June 17
• Jack Jiang, 16, and Chu Ming Zheng, 19, brothers from Hoboken, died during a public swim in the pool at the Lincoln Community School in Hoboken on June 8. Their attorney has filed a tort claim notice of their intent to file lawsuits seeking a total of $100 million claiming negligence

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

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