The 19-month-old daughter of Olympic gold medal skier Bode Miller drowned in a swimming pool in Cota de Caza, officials said Monday.
Orange County firefighters were dispatched to a home in Cota de Caza at 6:28 p.m. Saturday, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Tony Bommarito.
“I think they worked on the baby for a long time,” but could not save her, Bommarito said.
Emeline Gier Miller was pronounced dead at Children’s Hospital of Orange County late Sunday, said Carrie Braun of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
Miller and his wife, Morgan, were visiting a neighbor when their daughter ended up in a pool, said OCFA Capt. Steve Concialdi.
The victim’s mother “jumped into the pool and pulled her out,” Concialdi said.
Morgan Miller, a Newport Beach native, is a professional beach volleyball player and model.
An Orange County sheriff’s deputy who was first on the scene provided CPR, Braun said. The toddler was initially rushed to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo in grave condition, Concialdi said.
There was no gate around the pool, Concialdi said.
It’s important to keep a close eye on children around a pool, because they can drown quickly, Concialdi said.
“It only takes seconds to inhale water into your lungs,” he said.
There were 98 drowning incidents in Orange County last year with 42 victims dying, Concialdi said.
“We are beyond devastated,” the couple wrote in a statement on social media. “Never in a million years did we think we would experience a pain like this. Her love, her light, her spirit will never be forgotten. Our little girl loved life and lived it to its fullest every day.”