SHAFTER, Calif. — The Kern County Sheriff's Office has identified the toddler who drowned in a swimming pool on Saturday in Shafter.
According to the KCSO, 1-year-old Mateo Valladares was found unresponsive in a swimming pool in the 400 block of Loewen St at around 5 a.m. on Saturday. He was taken to Bakersfield Memorial Hospital where he died on Tuesday.
An exact cause of death has not been determined at this time and the investigation is ongoing.
According to the CDC, around 10 people die every day in the United States due to drowning. Of these, two are children under the age of 14.
It's because of those numbers, that the Kern County Fire Department continues to offer guidance every swimming season about how to keep young swimmers safe. Officials say pool barriers like fences, locked doors and windows help protect children from getting into a body of water without someone watching.
