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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Callum Parke

Devastating final moments of 'happy and mischievous' tot who drowned in paddling pool

A "happy and mischievous" one-year-old boy tragically lost his life while playing in paddling pool in his back garden, a coroner's court has heard.

Jameel Abdulhameed was playing with his twin brother on June 2, 2021, next to a paddling pool bought for them just weeks earlier, when he died.

It is believed Jameel feel into the pool while trying to retrieve an Action Man toy.

His mum was taking plates from their picnic lunch back inside the house and returned to find Jameel face down and unresponsive in the water, the Derby Telegraph reported.

After attempting CPR at their home in Nottingham Road, Somercotes, near Alfreton, he was taken to Royal Derby Hospital but was pronounced dead just three days before his second birthday.

At a documentary inquest at Chesterfield Coroners Court on Thursday, May 26, Sarah Huntbach, assistant coroner for Derby and Derbyshire, read a statement from the boy's mother, saying: "Jameel was a really happy and mischievous child.

The hospital is part of the Derby and Burton NHS Trust (Derby Telegraph)

"He was the one in the charge. He was very loving to his siblings as he was such a loving boy.

"We all miss him so much and I don't think we will ever get over what has happened."

Detailing the evidence, Miss Huntbach said that the paddling pool was 60cm tall when fully inflated but was filled with 38cm of water.

Jameel was 88cm tall and "did not like water", his mum said in her statement.

But she added he did enjoy throwing toys into the pool due to the sound and splash it made.

At around 1pm, Jameel had eaten lunch with his twin brother and was momentarily left outside when his mum returned to the house to take plates back inside.

When she returned, Jameel was seen floating in the paddling pool and his mum immediately attempted to perform CPR and rescue breaths, with vomit seen on his clothing.

She then took him to the Stop and Shop in Nottingham Road and asked for someone to call an ambulance.

A community first response team, an ambulance and the air ambulance all attended the scene.

Chesterfield Coroner’s Court (Derby Telegraph / BPM Media)

Police investigations following the incident found no foul play or third party involvement.

Reading a statement written by Detective Constable Paul Butler, of Derbyshire police, the coroner said: "Their conclusion is one that had Jameel bent over the side of the pool in order to try to retrieve a toy.

"It was conceivable that he toppled over the edge and been stranded on the side of the pool itself."

Recording her verdict, Miss Huntbach agreed with the medical cause of death as one of drowning and recorded a verdict of an accident.

The child's family did not attend the hearing.

Miss Huntbach said: "On the evidence and on balance of probabilities, Jameel, while trying to retrieve a toy from the paddling pool, has bent over the side.

"He has lost his balance, causing him to topple into the water face down. The verdict I record is one of an accident.

"It is clear to me that he was a typical toddler and the attraction was to retrieve one of his toys from the pool and I accept that that as a conclusion, that while he has been trying to do that, he has then lost his balance and unfortunately has fallen face down into the water."

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