Police: NC girl drowns after climbing over locked pool gate

GASTONIA, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina girl drowned last weekend after climbing over the gate at a neighbor’s swimming pool, police said.

Gastonia police officers and fire and rescue personnel were called to a home on South Emerson Street on Saturday afternoon for a report of a possible drowning in a backyard above-ground pool, police said in a news release on Tuesday.

Family members had pulled 6-year-old Za’myah Judge from the water and were attempting life-saving measures before first responders arrived and took over. The girl was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead, police said.

Foul play is not suspected in Judge’s death. Detectives’ preliminary investigation found that the girl stacked several chairs against her next-door neighbor’s locked pool gate, climbed over and entered the water, police said. Her brother told investigators that he ran for help when he didn’t see her resurface.