After 3-year-old nearly drowns in covered pool, Bear child care worker charged

A 21-year-old child care worker has been charged with a single felony after a 3-year-old boy who was left outside unsupervised nearly drowned in rainwater that had collected on top of a covered pool, police said.

The near-drowning occurred on the afternoon of April 18 at Gordy's Little Angels Play School in Bear while the young woman was temporarily left to run the facility. Police said the owner of the home day care had to run to the store for an errand.

According to police, a group of children were playing near the above-ground pool when the 21-year-old went inside to make lunch for the kids. At some point, she noticed the little boy had climbed up something − it's not clear what − to get to the pool. He fell onto the cover and into rainwater that had collected on top, police said.

When the woman noticed the boy, she ran over and pulled him out, then called 911. Police responded to Nemours Children's Hospital, where they were told he "had injuries consistent with being submerged underwater and suffering from hypothermia."

It's not clear exactly how deep the water was or for how long he lay there. The boy was later released from the hospital.

Day care owner Antoinette Gordy told Delaware Online/The News Journal that while there's a fence in her yard, there was no fence around the pool because it's above-ground.

"It's not required because you can't normally get up there unless you have a ladder or something like that," she said. "You (have to) make sure that you are keeping your eye on them at all times and then make sure there's nothing around where they can get up."

It's not clear exactly how the boy made his way to the top of the pool.

A day after the near-drowning, Delaware's Office of Child Care Licensing temporarily shut down the facility. Gordy said she doesn't know "what the plans are moving forward," but if she is allowed to reopen, "some written plans will be put in place before I assume operation" to ensure this kind of incident doesn't happen again.

Licensing records show the facility's last inspection was April 19, 2023. It was compliant in all areas.

Before that, it was inspected April 29, 2022. The only issue found then was that the facility applied for a license renewal less than 60 days before its expiration.

Up until this month, the facility had no injuries or deaths reported, according to the Office of Child Care Licensing website.

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The day care worker was charged with a single count of endangering the welfare of a child under 18 that caused injury. She was arraigned and released on $2,000 unsecured bond.

Gordy did not say whether the woman is still employed, citing the business's current closure.

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