Six-year-old girl drowns at apartment swimming pool

Heather Rawlyk

Wednesday, April 7, 2004 | 10:58 a.m.

Water safety tips

A 6-year-old girl drowned Tuesday afternoon in a swimming pool inside the Allegro at la Entrada apartment complex in Henderson.

Witnesses told police the girl was swimming in the in-ground pool with several other children at 2 p.m. when she told them she was going to see how long she could hold her breath under water.

An adult nearby noticed the child not moving and called 911, police said.

Rescue units, which were less than one mile away at a police standoff, arrived at the complex at 951 Las Palmas Entradas Ave., southwest of Gibson Road and Lake Mead Parkway, within one minute of receiving the call for help, police said. Officers were nearby at a standoff.

The child was given cardiopulmonary resuscitation and airlifted by a Mercy Air helicopter to Sunrise Children's Hospital, where she died in the emergency room, authorities said.

The Clark County Coroner's Office this morning identified the victim as Kathryn Alexis Natali, 6, from Las Vegas.

Brittney Nelson, a 14-year-old whose sister lives in the apartment complex, said she saw the child before she drowned, swimming with a flotation device.

"She was in a floatie and playing by herself," she said. "There were other kids in the pool but no adults were swimming in the pool."

Police said there were other children in the pool and adults nearby at the time of the incident.

Nelson said she left the pool for about 30 minutes and then returned to witness the child being pulled out of the water.

"They pulled her out and were trying CPR on her but it wasn't working," she said. "She looked lifeless. Police were there right away and were screaming to get the (medical evacuation helicopter).

"It wasn't more than five minutes before she was taken away."

Nelson peered over a cement wall and pointed out the child's orange flotation device, lying at the side of the empty pool.

"It's very sad," she said. "That's her floatie that she was playing with just hours ago."

Henderson Police Department spokesman Keith Paul said police were conducting a routine investigation. He said there was no evidence of foul play or negligence and said the investigation was continuing.

Police didn't immediately know who was watching the child at the time of the drowning.

This is the fifth drowning or near drowning in Clark County in less than five weeks.

On March 6, an 18-month-old girl nearly drowned after getting in a family whirlpool spa.

Three days later, a 20-month-old boy drowned in an above-ground pool that had 2 feet of water in it.

The following day, an 18-month-old nearly in a backyard pool during a family get-together in northeast Las Vegas but was revived.

And on March 12, a 1-year-old girl nearly drowned in a backyard pool in Las Vegas.

One major difference with Tuesday's case, however, was that it involved an older child.

In 2003, the Clark County Health District reported 10 drownings and 32 near- drowning incidents. Of those incidents, only 19 percent of the victims were older than 4.

In 2002, the Health District reported 6 drownings and 50 near-drowning incidents. Of those incidents, 12 percent involved victims older than 4.