Father Discovers Twin Daughters, 3, Drowned in Backyard Pool in Phoenix: 'A Tragic Day'

Phoenix Police told local media that the two girls died at the hospital

Two toddlers died this week in Phoenix, Arizona, after drowning in their at-home pool.

In a May 2 statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Phoenix Fire Department (PFD) announced the tragic incident alongside an image of PFD's Capt. Rob McDade addressing local media near the scene.

"Two three-year olds passed away in #PHX after they were pulled from a backyard pool near 67th avenue and Lower Buckeye Road on Thursday afternoon," the PFD's statement read, in part.

Phoenix Police Department said in a statement on May 3, "On May 2, 2024, around 3:30 p.m., officers responded to a home in the area of 2800 South 65th Lane regarding a drowning call."

At the scene, police and PFD discovered two children being given CPR by a family member before "Phoenix Fire took over life saving measures of the children."

The twins, identified as Valentina Ruiz and Penelope Ruiz, were transported to a local hospital, however, "Tragically, they did not survive their injuries and were pronounced deceased," police said.

Fox 10 reported that Capt. McDade said the twins' father had dialed 911 and was attempting to perform CPR on his daughters when firefighters arrived at the scene.

Related: Ala. Mom Allegedly Tried to Drown Son, 10, in Bathtub. To Survive, He 'Played Dead': Docs

"We had a father on scene attempting to do CPR on both children. You can imagine what that would look like and how taxing that would be," he also said, per Fox 10.

Capt. McDade continued, "Remember a drowning is silent. Everybody thinks that you're going to hear your child asking for help. It's absolutely silent. So remember that. Again, it's a tragic day. It is a tremendous loss for this family and for this community,"

McDade added, per AZFamily, that the girls were in the water for an "undetermined amount of time." He said that their deaths marked the 6th and 7th child-drowning deaths in Phoenix in 2024.

Footage of the scene showed police tape blocking off the area of the girls' neighborhood. AZFamily said that there was no fence around the pool itself.

"Preliminary information suggests that this incident is consistent with an accidental drowning. At this time, there is nothing that investigators have found that appears suspicious," police said in their statement, adding that the investigation is "ongoing."

Related: 2 Drowned After Man Tried to Save Woman Who Fell into Creek While Hiking in Tennessee

On Facebook, Phoenix PD marked National Water Safety Month on May 3 by encouraging locals to "never leave children unattended near water and always stay vigilant." In a video shared on the platform, officials encouraged viewers to have "constant eyesight" while monitoring their swimming children and to avoid distractions.

Sgt. Brian Bower said in the clip that those who discover a drowning child should be detailed in the information they share with officers, and that community members should consider "basic CPR classes."

"Two seconds is too long to take your eyes off children near water," the fire department also wrote on Facebook. "Learn more about swimming lessons, CPR classes, and other resources by visiting Phoenix.gov/fire."

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