On October 4, in Oregon, Ohio, a two-year-old boy was discovered by police in a neighbor’s above-ground pool after wandering away from home with his four-year-old brother.
According to reports, the drowning occurred when Marcus Hall’s mother was asleep and his father was at work. Marcus, known affectionately as Mar Mar, was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead.
Anthony Hall, the child’s father, said that his sons had managed to leave the house when their mother fell asleep.
Around 10:30 a.m., a 911 call was made by a neighbor who observed a child in a diaper, believed to be the four-year-old, following a dog without an accompanying adult. The boy was returned and the police told the mother to be more careful and install safety devices. It is unclear what other action was taken at the time. Roughly an hour later, the boy’s mother called the police to seek help when she realized her younger son was missing. She explained to the dispatcher, “I got woken up to the cops over here knocking on my door because they said that kids were running around outside, so when I woke up, it’s only my four-year-old here.” The younger son was later found in the neighbor’s pool.
Reports indicate a violation on the neighbor’s pool as it is required to have a surrounding fence. Investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Children Services is also involved in the circumstances surrounding the boy’s death.