A 3-year-old girl discovered Thursday along with her mother in a pool at a Lakewood condominium complex has died, officials say.
Shannon Joel was pronounced dead during the night at Children’s Hospital after she was discovered floating face down at Wellington Condominiums, said Cindy Matthews, spokeswoman for West Metro Fire Rescue.
Her mother, Aksa Joel, 34, who is from Pakistan, was discovered at the bottom of the pool, which is 10 feet deep. She was in critical condition Friday at St. Anthony Central Hospital.
Officials have notified the child’s father and contacted other relatives in Pakistan, Matthews said.
Darren and Stephanie Kailey discovered the mother and daughter in the pool around 1:30 p.m. Thursday and helped two other people pull them out of the water.
Matthews said no witnesses saw or heard how the two ended up in the pool.
Neighbor Pat Switzer said Aksa Joel, who has lived at the complex for at least three years, was very protective of her daughter.
She said the mother would watch closely as her daughter rode her tricycle in circles on their second-floor balcony.
Two kid-sized plastic yellow chairs covered with stickers and chimes decorated with tiny bunnies could be seen on the balcony Friday.
“She is a beautiful lady. She would always say hello,” Switzer said. “But she used to keep to herself.”
The little girl would chat in a different language before she learned English.
“(Shannon) was a very happy child,” Switzer said. “She was friendly.”
Staff writer Kirk Mitchell can be reached at 303-820-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com.
