The Tribune-Star
TERRE HAUTE —
Details are emerging in the death of a 3-year-old Terre Haute girl, who drowned last week after falling into a residential swimming pool.
Savannah Orman was flown to Riley Hospital for Children-IU Health after she was found unresponsive July 29 in a swimming pool in the 3100 block of South 10th Street. The child lived nearby, in a residence in the 3000 block of South 91⁄2 Street.
Savannah died Aug. 2 at Riley Hospital, according to the Marion County Coroner’s office. A final report on the cause and manner of death was not available Tuesday.
\Police were dispatched about 11:29 a.m. July 29 to the home “in reference to a 3-year-old female that was found unresponsive in a swimming pool,” according to a police report on the incident.
Officers arrived and found the incident had occurred near 10th Street and Pugh Avenue. The child was found wearing a two-piece swimsuit and was in the back yard with her father, David Orman, hugging her, the report stated.
Rescue responders began CPR and transported the child to Terre Haute Regional Hospital and then to Riley Hospital.
David Orman had been at home with his father, Andy Orman, when David Orman said noticed his two daughters were missing. The father told police that Savannah had been able to get out of the house before, so he used butter knives to lock the doors.
David Orman said he was not sure how Savannah, along with her 2-year-old sister, was able to get out of the house. The father told police that he was searching for the children when he saw the 2-year-old child standing in the grass outside a fence in the 3100 block of South 10th Street.
David Orman said he rode a bike to the girl and saw Savannah in a pool. The father then jumped a fence and pulled the child from the pool and began CPR until police and rescue responders arrived.
David Orman said that he tried to get help from residents of the house with the pool, but no one answered; the homeowners were out of town, a relative told police.
Andy Orman said he was taking a nap at the home when he noticed the girls were gone and the back door to the home was open. He told police he and David Orman left in opposite directions to search for the girls, the police report stated.
Terre Haute Police Chief John Plasse said police “will take the [investigation] findings to the prosecutor for review” this week.
“When an incident results in a death, we let [the prosecutor] review and determine if the parents should be held responsible and whether or not charges are filed.
“We do that just to be diligent,” Plasse said. “It is bad enough a child is gone, that is punishment enough; but there still is another child, so we have to look at the big picture,” Plasse said.
Terre Haute Police Detective Jimmy Richardson said the incident “could have been an unfortunate accident, but the prosecutor’s office will determine that. It is the circumstances that allowed this to happen is what we want the prosecutor to review,” he said.
