Police on Friday identified the 11-month-old girl who drowned at a Hilo residence on Thursday morning as Kuulei Keonaona Farley of Hilo.
An autopsy was performed Friday morning, and the forensic pathologist ruled that there were no traumatic injuries to the child, and the death was consistent with drowning.
Foul play is not suspected, and the final autopsy results are pending standard toxicology testing.
There were several adults in the Maunakai Street home, including the girl’s father, when the mother found the unresponsive infant and the child’s 6-year-old brother in the yard in an inflatable pool with about a foot of water. That’s according to Capt. Rio Amon-Wilkins, commander of the East Hawaii Criminal Investigation Division.
“I believe the mom was initially sleeping, and then, she woke up and went to look for the children. And that’s how she found them,” Amon-Wilkins told the Tribune-Herald on Friday.
He added it “appears that the child would’ve had to have some assistance” to get from the home to the pool.
First responders were called shortly after 9:30 a.m. Thursday, and family members began CPR on the unresponsive infant, police said. Fire department medics immediately assumed CPR duties as they began transporting her to Hilo Medical Center.
Life-saving measures continued at the hospital but were unsuccessful, and the girl was pronounced dead at 10:53 a.m. Thursday.
“We don’t have any indication of any type of foul play involved. Obviously, it’s a horrific accident,” Amon-Wilkins said.
Asked if manslaughter charges could arise from any perceived parental negligence, Amon-Wilkins said he’s not “seen any case like that where anybody was prosecuted for anything like that.”
“I think, generally, these cases are looked at as a tragic accident. And I can’t recall, in my time here, anybody being prosecuted for an accidental drowning,” the 24-year veteran officer said.
One definition of manslaughter under Hawaii law includes “recklessly cause(ing) the death of another person.” The statute makes no mention of negligence.
Amon-Wilkins said this incident should serve as a tragic reminder for parents to diligently supervise their children around water.
“It’s summertime. A lot of people have (pools) at their residence. A lot of people go to the beach. You can’t be too careful,” he said. “Don’t take your eyes off your children when there’s any water around.
“All it takes is a split second for a child that can’t swim.”
Police ask anyone who may have information about this incident to contact Detective Zenas Pacheco with the Area I Criminal Investigation Section at (808) 961-2384, or email at zenas.pacheco@hawaiicounty.gov or the police department’s nonemergency line at (808) 935-3311.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
