Maggie Blair can't believe her three-year-old daughter, Zandra Gut, is gone after the little girl wandered away from her Lorain County home and drowned in a pond 500 feet from her house.
The Aug. 1 accident is generating an outpouring of community support on the Zandra Gut GoFundMe page and had Blair giving a tearful warning to all parents with young children.
"I am very thankful for everything, and the support from the community," said Blair. "I wish nobody had to do this. Even if you don't live by water, take your kids to the swimming classes, even the babies."
The tragedy marks the second child drowning in Lorain County in less than a month.
Police report two-year-old Arianna Monticue drowned in a pool at her grandmother's Lorain home.
Jennifer Walker, with the Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital Injury Prevention Center, says six children die in the U.S. from home related injuries everyday.
Walker stressed that parents must keep a close watch on their children, and not underestimate their mobility while at home.
"Drowning is the number one cause for home related deaths for children one to four," said Walker. "Kids can get out of things that you never thought that they could get out of. They can open a door, they can open a latch, they can do things way before you think they can."
Walker says placing alarms on windows and doors that give children access to water, like a pool or a pond, is an important safety precaution. She also says baby pools should be drained and put away promptly after use.
More child injury prevention tips can be found here on the Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital webpage.
Blair was holding a butterfly pendant in her hands as she tried to wipe away the tears from her eyes, hoping her warning could somehow prevent this tragedy from happening to other families.
"I got this butterfly today with her father when I went to get her flowers, butterflies were mine and her thing," said Blair. "I miss her a lot. I just can't live my life without my baby."
