2-year-old child dies in accidental drowning at Ionia swimming pool

IONIA – Police are investigating the drowning of a 2-year-old child in a private swimming pool over the weekend, authorities said.

The Ionia County Sheriff's Office described the incident as an accidental drowning.

The child was found unresponsive in the pool at a residence in the 800 block of East Washington Street in Ionia about 7:30 p.m. Sunday, officials said in a news release.

Deputies and paramedics tried to revive the child, who was later pronounced dead at Sparrow Hospital in Ionia.

Foul play is not suspected, although investigators still were trying to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident, officials said. The state's Child Protective Services unit is involved in the investigation, they said.

Police did not say whether the child was a boy or girl, and no other details about the incident had been released as of Monday evening.

Ionia police and LIFE EMS assisted the sheriff's department.

Contact Ken Palmer at (517) 377-1032 or kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj.