Springdale Police Investigate Industrial Pond after Girl Drowns

A Springdale neighborhood is mourning the loss of an 11-year-old girl after she drowned in an industrial pond.

Lt. Kevin Lewis of the Springdale Police Department says, "It's just a horrible tragedy."

Barbara Corter says, "They told me they were going to the pond. I didn't know we had a pond around here."

Because that pond is in an industrial park just across the fence from a neighborhood. Eleven-year-old Allyiah Jerwon was swimming when her friends on the shore noticed something was wrong.

Lt. Lewis says, "Evidently she started having trouble, and was yelling for help."

The kids ran home and called police.

Lt. Lewis continues, "There were some witnesses -- some juvenile witnesses there that described to us that they were playing near a pond."

Without any diving gear, one firefighter jumped in the water knowing time was crucial.

Rodney Valdez of the Springdale Fire Department says, "The firefighters on scene were able to use the equipment they had available to them and do their best to locate the child, and the Springdale Fire Department is terribly sorry for this tragic accident."

With one life lost, neighbors are wondering why the pond is even there.

Neighbor Donald Corter says, "With all these little kids around here, it needs to be filled in or fenced off -- especially if they're going to start drowning in it. I didn't even know it was there and sure didn't know they were playing in it."

It's a question Springdale police are now looking to answer. 

Lt. Lewis says, "Our code enforcement will be looking into it and finding out exactly why that pond exists and why it's in the condition its in."