3-year-old drowns in backyard pool

A mother fell asleep with her child Thursday morning but by the afternoon, a parent’s worst nightmare was unfolding.

The 3-year-old girl was found in the backyard pool and was pronounced dead from an apparent drowning, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Jennifer Harman, 3, and her 28-year-old mother went to sleep on the living room couch in their home in Lake Woods of Whitfield on Alderwood Drive South around 11 a.m. Thursday, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

About three hours later, a family member came to the home and discovered the mother asleep on the couch without Jennifer.

Jennifer was found in the home’s backyard swimming pool, according to the sheriff’s office. EMS officials were called to the scene and took the 3-year-old to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The incident is under investigation.

This story was originally published April 6, 2017 at 5:10 PM with the headline "3-year-old drowns in backyard pool."