Taunton toddler, 1, drowns in family pool

Peggy Kelly, 85, who is a neighbor of Jacob Ebenberg-Carey, 1, said yesterday that she knew the toddler's family well. The pool where the toddler was found can be seen at far right. (BARRY CHIN/GLOBE STAFF)

TAUNTON - A family was in mourning yesterday after a year-old boy, who had only recently learned to walk, drowned in a pool at his home, in what police are calling a tragic accident.

Jacob Ebenberg-Carey wandered out of the house on Kilmer Avenue and onto an adjoining deck before he fell into the pool, which is nearly flush with the deck. His mother found him in the pool and called 911 at 7:40 a.m., Taunton Police Chief Raymond L. O'Berg said.

When police arrived, fire and emergency responders were already working to resuscitate the boy, O'Berg said. But the toddler was pronounced dead at Morton Hospital and Medical Center, he said.

"You take every step you can to revive the baby," O'Berg said. "You try everything with a baby."

Jacob was at least the third child in Massachusetts to drown in the past week.

Last Thursday, Kallie Brackett, 2, drowned in her family's in-ground pool in Auburn. Her uncle, Edward Brackett, said the girl had probably sneaked out a back door.

On Saturday, Anthony Day, 12, drowned in the Connecticut River in South Hadley. According to The Republican of Springfield, the boy did not know how to swim and stepped off a sandbar into a eddy.

In 2006, the year for which the most recent data are available, 17 Massachusetts residents who were 19 or younger accidentally drowned, said Donna Rheaume, spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Health.

O'Berg said that Jacob's mother has four other children. "From what I've heard, it's a g

ood family, a good mother," he said. "You can speculate. Kids leave doors open."

He said the family was overcome with grief and had asked for privacy.

About noon yesterday, several cars arrived at the two-story home, which has well-groomed flower beds, a large yard, and a wooden deck.

A man who got out of a car said the family did not wish to speak to reporters.

Jonathan Furtado, manager of Michael's hair salon in Taunton, identified the boy's mother as Julie Krajewski, a stylist.

He said Krajewski had worked there for a while but did not comment further. "It's still very fresh," he said.

Neighbors described Krajewski as a good mother and said the children were friendly.

"The kids were over here all the time," said Jean Garvin, a next-door neighbor. She said that Jacob had just learned to walk.

Garvin said Krajewski is divorced and lives with Jacob's father and the children from her previous marriage.

She said that the father works for a swimming pool company and that the couple had recently built the deck and installed the pool.

"It was perfect for them," Garvin said. She said the children swim in the pool "every day they can possibly be in it."

Peggy Kelly, who lives behind Krajewski on Friend Street, said the four older children are "very good swimmers."

"That's a tragedy," said Kelly, 85, who said she has known the family for years.

"Such a lovely, lovely family," she said. ". . . When I lost my husband, they were one of the first over."

Toys were scattered across the family's front yard yesterday. An orange Fisher-Price car sat in the driveway.