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Sheriff's spokesman: Deltona mom preparing dinner loses sight of 1-year-old boy who drowns in family pool

DELTONA -- The obvious question as to how a 1-year-old Deltona boy ended up in the bottom of a family pool with such a tragic ending has been answered: "The mother was in the kitchen preparing dinner and lost sight of the child briefly," Volusia Country Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson told NSBNews.net.

The Sheriff's Office is continuing its investigation into the drowning of the baby, identified as Chase Wilson.

Davidson said he did not have the mother's name or those of other immediate family members readily available and that the circumstances surrounding the drowning were explained to him by one of the investigators.

The baby is the youngest of what are now six small-child pool drowning fatalities in Volusia County this year.

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to 754 Leeward Drive after receiving a 911 call at 5:18 p.m. reporting that the baby had been found at the bottom of the pool. The victim wasn't breathing when he was removed from the pool. The mother and father and a grandparent were at the house at the time of the incident, Davidson said.

1-year-old Deltona boy drowns in family pool; youngest of 6 pre-school children in pool deaths this year

DELTONA -- A 1-year-old boy drowned in a backyard swimming pool late this afternoon in Deltona. He is the youngest of six pre-school-age children to die in pool drownings this year in Volusia County.

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to 754 Leeward Drive after receiving a 911 call at 5:18 p.m. reporting that the baby had been found at the bottom of the pool, agency spokesman Gary Davidson said.

The baby, Chase Wilson, wasn’t breathing when he was removed from the pool. The child’s mother and father and a grandparent were at the house at the time of the incident, Davidson said.

"A Sheriff’s Office telecommunicator coached a frantic family member over the phone on CPR procedures while help was quickly sent to the house," Davidson said.

Kitten season is here: please get your cat spayed or neutered

The height of kittens season is just around the corner for those of us that live in Volusia County and that means pregnant cats are everywhere. Male cats are out and about traveling longer distances to impregnate as many females as they can.

Daytona Beach man first drowning victim of 2011

DAYTONA BEACH -- The first drowning of 2011 occurred Thursday when a 52-year-old man wading in shallow waters stumbled and drowned in what was a calm surf, the Volusia County Beach Patrol said.

Beach Patrol officials were unclear what may have caused Mark Howe to drown in the 5:20 p.m. incident near the Zelda Boulevard Beach ramp with no major rip currents reported. Alcohol or a medical condition may have been factors, Beach Patrol spokeswoman Tammy Marris said. The drowning victim had lived nearby.

1st day of summer today and wild fires continue with new blazes in New Smyrna Beach, Pierson and Osteen

Courtesy graphic / The National Weather Service in Melbourne shows temps today will continue in the low 90s with no rain relief in sight until Thursday.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Today is the first day of summer with no rain in sight until Thursday at the earliest with the threat of continuing wild fires the new reality.

WFTV looks into New Smyrna Beach City Attorney Frank Gummey's salary

New Smyrna Beach City Attorney Frank GummeyNSBNews.net file photo / With municipal budget season around the corner, New Smyrna Beach City Attorney Frank Gummey's annual pay is being called into question.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Realtor Bill Roe has caused a stir with his questioning of the $188,000 salary paid to City Attorney Frank Gummey. Roe, principal owner of Ocean Properties in New Smyrna Beach and a blogger for NSBNews.net, contacted WFTV, which portrayed him as a "tax watchdog" in a story and video package posted Tuesday on its website.

Seaside Fiesta in New Smyrna Beach draws upwards of 8,000; emphasis on families

Videos by Sera Frederick / This little boy pushes his kid sister in a dolphin mobile on Flagler Avenue in New Smyrna Beach during Thursday's Seaside Fiesta. The event drew between 6,000 and 8,000 visitors.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Bob McManus, 71, a retired shipyard welder, and his friend, Suzanne Jones, a former Navy nurse, enjoyed the sights and sounds of Flagler Avenue's bustling Seaside Fiesta.

Seaside Fiesta 2011 draws upwards of 8,000 people to Flagler Avenue in New Smyrna Beach

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NSBNews.net videos by Sera Frederick / Here are the first two of our 10 videos showcasing Thursday night's Seaside Fiesta on Flagler Avenue in New Smyrna Beach that police and merchants estimated drew between 6,000 and 8,000 people. We will have a complete story and blog, along with lots of photos and the aforementioned video package, media coverage that is unprecedented in New Smyrna Beach.