Spring neighbors describe desperate efforts to save 2-year-old, 74-year-old after neighborhood drowning

SPRING, Texas - A day after a 2-year-old boy and his 74-year-old cousin died in a neighborhood pond in Spring, the quiet subdivision remains shaken as neighbors recount the heartbreaking moments they rushed to help.

What we know:

Harris County Sheriff's Office deputies were called just after 6 p.m. Sunday to the 900 block of Spring Lakes Haven Drive for a report of an adult and child in the water. The neighborhood is not too far from Hurricane Harbor Waterpark and I-45 North. 

When deputies arrived, firefighters and EMS were already performing CPR on the 74-year-old woman, according to neighbors. A short time later, first responders located the 2-year-old boy and also began life-saving efforts. Both were transported to a nearby hospital with CPR in progress. But despite those efforts, both died.

Investigators say they are continuing to piece together exactly how the two ended up in the pond.

'My boys jumped straight into action'

Jamarcus Carter says the moment neighbors realized someone was in the water, everyone rushed toward the pond.

"As my neighbor got word, we got word, and we hightailed over here," Carter said. "It was just a tragic scene seeing my neighbor pulling the older lady out of the lake and rendering CPR and steadily looking for the baby. My boys, they jumped straight into action. No hesitation."

One of his sons, Carmelo Carter, says he immediately jumped into the pond to search for the missing child.

"I took off my shoes and my socks and instantly jumped in and got straight to searching," Carmelo said. 

Carmelo says the search quickly became difficult because of the conditions in the water.

"It was really slippery in there because the minute I got in, I slipped, and I fell," he said. "I even went above and beyond and got some goggles and went under the surface to see if I could see underneath. But when you go in, you can't really feel the bottom."

Jamarcus says one first responder's actions stood out to everyone at the scene.

"When she arrived on the scene, and she was notified there was a baby missing in the lake, she immediately took off her equipment and dove in," he said. "Ultimately, she is the one who actually found the baby."

He says watching first responders work under unimaginable circumstances gave the neighborhood hope.

"Knowing that we do have first responders out there we can count on makes it a little bit better."

Neighbor says her grandmother witnessed moments before tragedy

Another neighbor, who asked not to be identified, says her grandmother was sitting on their front porch overlooking the pond when she saw the 74-year-old woman and the little boy walking together around the lake.

The woman says the child, wearing a Spider-Man shirt, waved as they walked before the pair stopped near a bench.

She says she briefly went inside, but when she came back out, her grandmother was screaming from the middle of the street.

According to the neighbor, the elderly woman had fallen into the water.

As her grandmother flagged down passing drivers for help, neighbors began rushing toward the pond.

She says within moments, people from across the neighborhood were jumping into the water searching for the child, while others searched for goggles to see through the algae-covered pond.

The neighbor says she watched a female responder repeatedly dive beneath the surface before eventually bringing the little boy out of the water and immediately beginning CPR.

"It was a reality check that we're not alone," she said. "If you don't talk to your neighbor, go introduce yourself. Looking from the inside out and witnessing what I witnessed yesterday was just unbelievable."

Another neighbor: 'Everybody came together as one'

Kyle Friels was another neighbor who jumped into the pond.

"My first instinct... if that was my child, I would do the same," Friels said. "So what I did is I just jumped into the water to find the little boy."

Friels says he's still trying to process what happened.

"It was heartbreaking," he said. "I'm still trying to cope with what we just lost in this community."

He also hopes the tragedy serves as a reminder about the dangers of the pond.

"It only comes out to about maybe 10 feet and then drops down to 12 feet. It drops. It's not a lake for kids to be in."

Despite the devastating outcome, Friels says one thing stood out to him.

"Yesterday, I can say everybody in this community came together as one. Nobody went like this and nobody went like that. Everybody came together. It's scary that two people have lost their lives in the lake."

Investigation continues

Harris County Sheriff's Office says detectives are continuing to investigate the drowning.

Investigators are canvassing the neighborhood for surveillance cameras, interviewing witnesses, and working to establish a timeline of what led up to the deaths.

Sheriff's officials are also reminding parents and caregivers to closely supervise children whenever they are around water, saying tragedies can happen in a matter of seconds.