Mother opens up about daughter's drowning to raise awareness

Image 1 of 2

A Davis Islands family is opening up about their daughter's drowning death, in hopes of sparing other families the deep pain and sorrow they are now experiencing.

Three-year-old Isla Saylor Hawkins drowned April 22 inside her family's pool.

 :You think it won’t happen to you," said Sonya Hawkins, the child's mother. "You know educated people, people that love their children, people that would do anything for their children.”

Hawkins said her daughter was not swimming in the pool, but rather throwing pool rings for her brother to dive and bring back.

"I knew Isla would never go in that pool,” said Hawkins, who believes the child at one point hit her head on the ground, and fell in the pool unconscious.

The mother of two said she had gone inside for a couple of minutes to make the children some food. When her son, who has autism, told her to go outside, she was horrified by the sight.

Hawkins said she pulled her daughter out, performed CPR, and called 911, but nothing could be done to save the toddler.

“It breaks my heart that my daughter is now the example of something tragic happening," said Hawkins. "She was so beautiful, she was so full of life."

The Hawkins family wants to share their devastating experience in hopes of raising water safety awareness.

"You should never leave your children unattended, ever," said Hawkins. "Even just to go inside to the bathroom, for just a minute, don't leave them unattended around any body of water."