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Kreya Patel, 4-year-old autistic girl, dies in Adelaide housing swimming pool

“I was standing outside and I saw her, she was running on the road and she was crying very loudly."

The 4-year-old who drowned after falling into a communal swimming pool at an Adelaide unit has been identified as Indian-Australian Kreya Patel.

Emergency services were called to Price Ave in Klemzig at 10.20 am on Thursday after Kreya was pulled from the water unconscious.

It is reported that Kreya, who was autistic and non-verbal, had been at home with her father, Jigar Patel.

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Image: Kreya Patel with her parents Jigar and Dipti Patel (Source: Facebook)

Himanshu Patel, another neighbour, said that Kreya’s dad was in their yard working in the small garden at the time of the tragedy. 

Little Kreya slipped outside unnoticed and Mr Patel found her unresponsive in the communal pool.

Kreya’s father called triple-0 and his wife, Dipti Patel, who was at work.

Paramedics worked desperately to revive Kreya through CPR before she was rushed to Women’s and Children’s Hospital where she sadly died.

Neighbours told media that the girl’s parents were beyond heartbroken and “crying a lot.”

Remembering a “playful” Kreya, neighbour Pooja Rani told 7NEWS she heard screams as the girl’s mother arrived home.

“I was standing outside and I saw her, she was running on the road and she was crying very loudly. Then I tried to ask her if everything was OK, but she didn’t reply because she was really upset. I feel very bad … when I heard her mother’s crying, then I feel like crying as well. It’s very hard.”

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It is further reported that the pool in which Kreya drowned in is fitted with a latch for safety.

It is not known how she managed to unlock it or if it was at the time functioning properly.

According to reports, residents claimed there had been at least one incident previously where the pool gate failed to close properly.

Police say there are no suspicious circumstances and have closed the pool with temporary fencing.

A report is being prepared for the coroner.

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