Missing Indiana County boy, 5, drowns in neighborhood swimming pool, police say

A missing 5-year-old Indiana County boy died after being found late Wednesday unresponsive in a swimming pool near his home, according to state police.

Troopers, neighbors, first responders and a canine search team from Westmoreland County helped to look for Lenny Hatinda after he left his White Township home around 7:45 p.m. and didn’t return. A family member reported him missing.

Police said the boy, who was nonverbal, was found around 11 p.m. unresponsive in a swimming pool one-tenth of a mile from his home. He was taken to Indiana Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 12:15 a.m. Thursday.

Police said his cause of death was from fresh water drowning. It was ruled an accident.

Drowning is a leading cause of death for children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For children 14 and younger, drowning is the second most common cause of unintentional death behind vehicle crashes. It is the top cause of unintentional death for children ages 1 to 4, according to the agency.

An average of 356 children 14 and younger drowned in pools and spas on an annual basis between 2012 and 2014, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The commission advises that a fence with a self-latching gate and alarms can prevent child drowning deaths.