Kyrie Berry, 7, of Brooklyn, dies after he's pulled from Bay Shore pool
A 7-year-old boy died Saturday after he was found unresponsive in a residential swimming pool in Bay Shore, Suffolk police said.
Kyrie Berry, 7, of Brooklyn, was a guest at a backyard barbecue when he was pulled from the pool on North Thompson Drive at about 8:25 p.m., police said. He was pronounced dead a short time later at South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore.
At least 10 others have drowned in private swimming pools in Suffolk County in 2024, according to statistics provided by the Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine’s office. There were 15 similar drownings all of last year, officials said.
The drownings have caused Romaine to offer a pool safety public service announcement.
"We must do all we can to prevent these tragedies from occurring," Romaine said in a statement this month. "Please be vigilant around pools. Put the phone down and pay attention. Watch your children or any other people in the water, and never leave them unattended. Do all you can to protect those around you, especially our children."
The drownings are part of a growing trend on Long Island and around the country that experts attribute in part to the increased number of backyard pools installed since the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020.
Nationwide, about 4,500 people are expected to drown this year, Adam Katchmarchi, CEO of the California-based National Drowning Prevention Alliance, previously told Newsday. Of that number, between 800 and 1,000 likely will be children under the age of 18.
Drownings are now the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 nationwide and the second-leading cause of death for kids ages 5 to 14, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
New York State broke its record in 2021, with more than 230 drownings, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Suffolk homicide detectives are asking anyone with information on Saturday’s incident to call 631-852-6392.
Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.
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