Two young sisters, ages 2 and 3, died after authorities said they were found in a backyard swimming pool at their family’s home in the Katy area west of Houston, despite frantic rescue efforts and an emergency helicopter flight to a hospital.
The deaths, reported Wednesday, have left relatives and first responders grieving as investigators work to confirm how the girls got outside and how long they were in the water. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez called the incident a devastating loss for the family and the community. Authorities said the case remains under investigation, with detectives reviewing the scene and the family’s account of what happened before the children were discovered.
Deputies and emergency crews were called late Wednesday morning to a home in the 21000 block of Creek Edge Court in northeast Katy after a water-related emergency involving two toddlers. Responders arrived to find family members and neighbors trying to help the girls, authorities said. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was underway as emergency medical crews took over care. A Life Flight helicopter was requested to speed transport, and the girls were flown to a hospital while first responders continued lifesaving measures.
Both children were pronounced dead at the hospital, authorities said. Investigators said the girls lived at the home with their mother and grandparents. The sheriff’s office did not release the children’s names. Officials also did not immediately say how long the girls may have been in the water or whether any alarms, locks, or other barriers were in place at the home. Authorities described the initial response as urgent and chaotic, with multiple calls to 911 after the girls were found.
According to preliminary accounts provided by authorities, the girls are believed to have gotten outside through a patio door that led to the backyard while their mother and grandfather were asleep inside the home. Officials said the girls’ grandmother had gone out and returned from the grocery store, then found the children in the pool. Authorities said she tried to pull them from the water and yelled for help, prompting neighbors to respond and call 911 along with the grandmother.
Gonzalez posted about the emergency as deputies were still responding, saying the circumstances and the children’s conditions were not clear early on. Several hours later, he confirmed both toddlers had died. “This is a devastating loss for the family and our community,” Gonzalez said in a statement. He asked people to keep the loved ones and the first responders involved in their thoughts and prayers as the investigation continued.
Officials have not announced any criminal allegations. In drowning cases involving small children, investigations often focus on timeline, supervision, access points to water, and whether there were prior safety concerns at the residence. Authorities have not said whether child-protective investigators were involved or whether any agency action is expected. They also have not described whether the pool was in the backyard of a single-family home or a shared property, or whether the pool was fully visible from inside the residence.
In the Houston area, backyard pools are common, and drowning remains a major cause of accidental death for young children. Local law enforcement and medical responders often treat child drownings as both a rescue emergency and an investigative event, documenting scene conditions and collecting statements soon after a child is found. Authorities said evidence collection and interviews were continuing as they worked to determine exactly how the girls got to the pool and what happened in the moments before they were discovered.
Neighbors who heard the commotion helped place the emergency call and waited as responders arrived, according to the sheriff’s office account. Emergency personnel from Harris County Emergency Services District No. 48 and Harris County ESD No. 40 were among those who responded, officials said, with deputies coordinating the scene and medical crews focusing on resuscitation. The sheriff’s office did not describe the girls’ condition when they were first pulled from the water, and officials did not provide details about any hospital treatment beyond the lifesaving measures attempted.
The deaths follow a familiar and painful pattern for first responders: a brief lapse, a silent backyard, and a frantic effort to reverse what water can do in minutes. Firefighters and paramedics who respond to drowning calls often continue resuscitation for extended periods, especially when the victim is a child, before hospital staff make the final determination. Authorities did not provide further details about the timeline of the helicopter transport, including how long the flight took or when the girls were pronounced dead.
In the days ahead, investigators are expected to complete a full report and determine whether any additional action is needed. Officials have not said when the family might receive final findings, including any medical examiner conclusions. The sheriff’s office said the investigation was ongoing and did not indicate a date for a public update.
Author note: Last updated Feb. 13, 2026.