Man Drowns In Chatsworth Pool, Had Been Planning To Swim

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CHATSWORTH (CBSLA) — A 54-year-old man has drowned in a backyard swimming pool in Chatsworth.

Firefighters were called out Sunday night to a home in the 20400 block of Lassen Street after a relative found the man in the pool and was unable to rescue him.

"The captain dove in and pulled him to the surface," the Los Angeles Fire Department's Brian Humphrey said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The drowning victim was later identified as 54-year-old Gregory Apperson. He was in swimming attire, indicating he intended to be in the pool and did not fall in. Firefighters did not know how long he was in the water, Humphrey said.

The fact that the man had been planning to swim sets this case of drowning apart from a recent rash of drownings across Southern California, especially with heat in triple digits this week, sending some to seek relief in their pools.

"No one, even an adult, should swim alone," Humphrey said. "There should be someone capable of making a rescue nearby. A water watcher."

"Don't go into the spa alone either," he said. People sometimes pass out due to the hot water or alcohol.