CHULUOTA Fla. — Family members and friends are distraught after the weekend drowning death of an Oviedo firefighter’s young daughter during a neighborhood gathering.
- Ella Forrest found in neighbor's pool
- Girl's death called an “extremely tragic accident"
- Firefighter dad gave young girl CPR
Ella Forrest, who was more than 2½ years old, was pulled from a neighbor’s pool at a home on Wassum Trail on Friday night.
Her father, Daniel Forrest, performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Ella before she was rushed to Oviedo Medical Center, a report says. Ella was airlifted to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in critical condition.
The Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Ella’s death early Saturday.
Kim Cannaday, a spokeswoman for the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, on Monday called Ella’s death an “extremely tragic accident.” An investigation is ongoing, but there is no suspicion of foul play or neglect, Cannaday said.
The family asked for privacy through the Sheriff’s Office.
"We hold the family in our thoughts and prayer during this very difficult time," Cannaday told Spectrum News 13.
The family has deep roots in Oviedo and Seminole County and just moved into the neighborhood, Pickett Downs, in the rural community of Chuluota in east Seminole.
“They had only been in the neighborhood for a few days and this was the first gathering among neighbors,” a Sheriff’s Office report said.
A GoFundMe page set up Sunday with a family photo raised $50,000 as of Monday night.
The couple have a son, Dylan, whose age was not available. Ella was born on March 20, 2017.
Daniel Forrest and wife, Candace, are longtime residents of Oviedo and are struggling to cope with “this unspeakable loss,” the site said.
Daniel’s father, Scott, is a battalion chief for Oviedo Fire and Rescue. Daniel’s brother, Kyle, works for the Seminole County Fire Department.
Sometime before 7:30 p.m. Friday, parents were socializing in front of the neighbor’s house as children rode their bikes back and forth along Wassum Trail, according to an incident report. That's when Candace Forrest noticed Ella was missing, the Sheriff’s Office report said.
She and homeowner Ginny Schneider looked in the backyard and into the enclosed pool area, where they found Ella face down in the water. They pulled her out and noticed she didn’t have a pulse, the report said.