Family coming to terms with boy's death

Jack Thorne was found lying unconscious, face down in the water, by mum Nicola.

Nicola, 33, said her life would be "empty" without her youngest son.

She realised she had not seen fair-haired Jack for a few minutes and started calling and searching for him throughout the three-bedroom house and garden.

She asked his older brothers, aged six and eight, if they knew where he was and one spotted him from an upstairs window of the house in Westman Road, in the Weeke area of Winchester.

Nicola pulled the unconscious tot from the water and made desperate attempts to give him the kiss of life and dialled 999 just before 6.30pm on Friday.

Paramedics arrived within minutes to take over efforts to revive the little boy and he was rushed to the Royal Hampshire County Hospital.

Staff successfully resuscitated but he suffered a relapse and was pronounced dead three and a half hours later at 9.59pm.

She has told how Jack loved playing in the back garden of the semi-detached house and said her life would be empty without him.

Nicola said: "Jack was a happy, lively boy who loved everybody and was adored by everyone. He loved being outside with his brothers and our dog and pet rabbit. He was active and never had a care in the world.

"Jack will be greatly missed by the whole family, especially his six and eight-year-old brothers. I don't know how any of us will come to terms with his death. A part of us will be empty for quite some time."

Detectives are not treating the death as suspicious and are investigating the tragedy on behalf of the coroner.

Forensic officers examined the scene and removed a number of objects from the house, including a 2ft-deep cylindrical container believed to be an old dustbin buried in the ground by a previous resident.

A post mortem will be held next week.

Neighbours in the quiet residential road were shocked by the tragic accident.

Doris Atherton, 82, said: "This is terribly sad. I think the family has lived there less than two years. There are two older boys and the younger toddler. I would hear them playing in the garden in the paddling pool.

"It is a terrible shock. I saw all the commotion when I was outside watering my flowers. There were police and ambulances everywhere. They are a lovely family."

Another neighbour, Gina Evans, said: "This is a terrible tragedy and our hearts go out to the family who must be absolutely devastated."

Eileen Berry, city councillor for Weeke, said: "Who would ever foresee this? As a local councillor I'm absolutely devastated for the loss of an innocent life, it's so sad. I really do feel for the parents.

"I've got grandchildren and great grandchildren myself so it really brings it home, words fail me."

Local vicar, the Rev Terry Roberts, of St Barnabas Church in Weeke, said it was very sad.

It is understood that single mum Nicola had recently won some money on television programme This Morning and had planned to use some of it to take her children on holiday.

Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents spokesman Roger Vincent said: "These are terrible tragedies and your heart goes out to the parents in these circumstances," he said.

"The age of the child in this case is a time when they are getting about and it's hard for parents to keep an eye on them all the time."

Mr Vincent said about eight children under five drown in garden ponds or other water features in the UK each year and the only 100 per cent sure way to avoid a similar tragedy was to fill in ponds or water features but he said this was not always possible.

He also advised parents to check that buckets or containers that have filled up over the winter in gardens are emptied now the warm weather is here.

He also said parents who visit other gardens should check whether there are dangers before letting children out to play.

"Children will drown in a small amount of water," he said.

"At this time of year it's a warning to everybody. We do not want to see a repeat of this."