Irvine boy, 2, drowns in backyard swimming pool

A 2-year-old boy drowned in Irvine today after managing to get past the barrier surrounding the backyard swimming pool, police said.

The toddler had been playing indoors with his grandfather when he left the child unattended to speak on the phone, said Irvine Police Lt. Rick Handfield.

Five minutes later, the man found his grandson floating in the backyard swimming pool, Handfield said.

Police were called to the home in the 15000 block of Marne Circle at 10:18 a.m.

A neighbor, hearing a commotion, came to the house and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the boy.

Handfield said the toddler was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police are investigating how the boy got into the pool, which is surrounded by a barrier.

Tran is a Times staff writer.

my-thuan.tran@latimes.com