OCALA – A two year old boy was found floating and unresponsive in an inflatable pool Saturday morning at 244 NE 44th Avenue. The boy’s mother, Brandi Dyal, was reported to be asleep in her room when she woke to her other son yelling from the back yard. When Dyal ran outside, she found her two-year-old boy floating face down on his side in their inflatable pool.
Reports state that Dyal started CPR while her 13-year-old daughter dialed 911.
The toddler, Manuel Wilfredo Mercado Jr. was rushed to Munroe Regional Medical Center by ambulance and then later flown to Shands Hospital in Gainesville.
Manuel Wilfredo Mercado Jr., was pronounced dead at Shands Hospital at 9:42am Sunday morning.
According to reports, Dyal had given Manuel Wilfredo Mercado Jr. and his 3-year-old brother some juice and left them in their room watching TV then returned to her room and fell back asleep. The other siblings in the house at the time did not notice the two boys go outside.
The Department of Children and Families has launched and independent investigation. Police say that their investigation is still ongoing. No charges have been filed yet.
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