Toddler Drowns at Joliet 4th of July Party: Police

A 2-year-old girl was found at the bottom of an above-ground pool during a Fourth of July party, Joliet police said. Efforts to revive the toddler were unsuccessful, and the girl was pronounced dead Friday evening at the Presence St. Joseph Medical Center emergency room, according to the Will County Coroner's office.

The toddler, identified as Brooke T. Cast, was attending a party in the 1000 block of Louise Lane with her family, Police Chief Brian Benton said.

According to Benton, Brooke was last seen playing with other children inside the home. It was mere minutes before her parents realized she was no longer with the other children and went looking for her, police said.

"It was a rather short period of time" before the toddler was found at the bottom of the pool, Benton said.

The girl's father pulled her from the pool, and a party guest who is a nurse performed CPR on the child while an ambulance was en route, according to Benton.

"Unfortunately, they were not successful in reviving the toddler," he said, calling the incident a tragedy.

"I feel for [the family]," Benton said. "It's very tragic."

A GoFundMe website has been set up to raise money to help parents Crystal Meyer and Eric Cast with funeral expenses.