The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said a child and older relative died after a Sunday evening drowning.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A Sunday family visit in north Harris County turned fatal when a 2-year-old boy and a 74-year-old relative were found in a Spring Lakes neighborhood pond, authorities said.
The deaths drew deputies, firefighters and EMS crews to Spring Lakes Haven Drive, where investigators worked into the evening to determine how the pair entered the water. The case centers on a brief walk to a nearby park, a worried search by the child’s mother and a rescue effort that ended at area hospitals.
Authorities said the boy and his mother had been visiting the older woman at her home in the Spring Lakes neighborhood. The mother told investigators the child got bored, and the woman took him outside for a walk. When the mother did not hear from them, she started looking. Officials said she reached the pond area as emergency crews were trying to save the woman.
A short time later, first responders found the boy in the pond and pulled him to shore, officials said. CPR was started before both victims were taken to hospitals. The sheriff’s office initially said one person had died, but Sheriff Ed Gonzalez later said both the 74-year-old woman and the 2-year-old had been pronounced dead.
The incident happened in a subdivision pond with a fountain in the center. Officials have not released the victims’ names, the exact relationship between them beyond saying they were relatives, or the length of time they were missing. Deputies said the mother told investigators the child may have had autism, but investigators had not said whether that was a factor.
The sheriff’s office said detectives were still working to build a full timeline. Homicide investigators and crime scene personnel responded, which officials described as standard for unattended deaths and drownings where the circumstances are not yet clear. No arrests or charges had been announced Monday.
Gonzalez said investigators remained at the scene Sunday night to determine exactly what happened. “Our hearts are heavy,” he said in a public statement, adding condolences for the family and loved ones affected by the deaths.
The investigation remained active Monday as deputies worked to determine what happened between the walk from the home and the discovery at the pond.
Author note: Last updated July 6, 2026.