Boy, 2, Drowns in Lake

A 2-year-old boy drowned in a small Fountain Valley lake Monday after wandering away from a family picnic, authorities said.

Husni Khalil of Fountain Valley was found floating in the south fishing pond at Mile Square Park about 2:30 p.m.

“When we arrived, there was pandemonium,” said Craig Laser, a spokesman for the Fountain Valley Fire Department. “People were absolutely out of their minds with grief.”

Family members at a gathering of about 20 relatives noticed that the little boy was missing, Laser said. “They looked around for two to five minutes,” he said, “then discovered him floating face-down on the far side of the lake. They made their way to the child, who was dressed in a diaper, and attempted to administer CPR while the paramedics were en route.”

The child was not breathing and had no pulse when the rescuers pulled him from the pond, Laser said. Paramedics transported him to the emergency room at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center. The toddler was pronounced dead at 3:14 p.m., Laser said.

“They did what they do best and made every effort to resuscitate the little boy,” he said. “They worked on him for quite a while. It’s very tragic.”