Tampa girl, 6, hospitalized after nearly drowning

ST. PETERSBURG -- A 6-year-old Tampa girl was hospitalized Sunday after she was found unresponsive in the backyard pool of a Coquina Key home, officials said.

Police said Hannah Werner, 13027 Arbor Isle Drive, Tampa, had fallen into the pool of a home at 434 Lewis Blvd. SE about 5:50 p.m. Sunday.

The girl's mother, Jennifer Werner, left Hannah in the care of a friend, police said.  A witness later told authorities they saw Hannah, a prekindergartener at Tampa's Heritage Elementary School, in the pool and said she was not breathing.

Arriving St. Petersburg Fire Rescue paramedics pulled Hannah from the water and performed CPR, said St. Petersburg Fire Rescue spokesman Lt. Rick Feinberg.

"They were able to resuscitate the child," said Feinberg. "She got a pulse back, and the child started breathing on her own."

Werner was rushed her to All Children's Hospital, where she was put on life support, police said. Her condition was not immediately available Monday morning.

 

Friends and classmates had not been told the reason for Hannah's absence Monday, said Christine Goff, a school spokeswoman.

 

"She is in a prekindergarten special-needs class that is nonverbal," Goff said. "So we are waiting to get more information because it will be difficult for them to understand."

 

Hannah's sister, who is second-grader, also was absent from school Monday.

 

"We've never had something like this happen to a Heritage student," Goff said. "The teachers will have to talk about safety with their classes after we get more information."

 

- Casey Cora and Robbyn Mitchell, Times staff writers