Heartbreaking deaths of brother, sister in NJ pool drowning ruled accidental

⭕ The children were pulled out of a pool during Memorial Day weekend

⭕ They were on life support for several days, their mother tells Fox Philadelphia

⭕ Their deaths were ruled accidental by the authorities

MONROE TOWNSHIP (Gloucester) — Two children rescued from a backyard pool during Memorial Day weekend have died.

Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office Chief of Detectives Thomas Gilbert confirmed the deaths of the sister and brother, ages 11 and 14, who had been pulled from the pool at a home on Woods Road on May 26. Their deaths were ruled accidental, according to Gilbert.

Their mother, Brittney McWhite, identified the children as London Marie and Wadale to Fox Philaldelphia. The resident of West Philadelphia said her daughter and son were playing a game of Marco Polo in which they took turns going under the water and holding their breath.

McWhite said she and their father made the painful decision to take them off life support which they would have needed the rest of their lives. She offered advice to keep other parents from going through their heartache.

"Always have a set of eyes. Prevent your kids from playing games. Make sure the pool is safe. Make sure if it doesn't look right, don't do it. Because once you lose your child, it is hard. It's really hard to stomach," said McWhite.

ALSO READ: Two dead including correctional office after Route 78 crash

Tragedy in New Jersey pools

They are the fourth and fifth children to die in pool-related incidents in New Jersey in the past week.

A toddler was found unconscious in a South Plainfield pool on May 28. Two-year-old Kheitan Roman was pronounced dead at a hospital three days later.

A four-year-old boy was found in a North Brunswick pool on May 25 in the early evening. He died later that night at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom