3-Year-Old Twins Die After Being Pulled From Murky Pool On Long Island

MELVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Three-year-old twin boys died Wednesday after being pulled from their backyard swimming pool on Long Island, police said.

First responders were called to their home on Holly Court in Melville around 8:45 a.m.

The tragedy began when the boys' mother, Sue Aurilia, woke up and saw her 5-year-old son Christian but could not find her 3-year-old boys Nicholas and Anthony, WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported.

She looked out a second floor window and spotted Nicholas floating in their backyard swimming pool. She called 911 and started CPR on her son. 

When authorities arrived, the mother told them she couldn't find Anthony.

Firefighters found him on the bottom of the pool. Authorities said it was so green and murky, the woman couldn't see the toddler, Hall reported.

"My members described it as that they just could not see at the bottom of the pool," Melville Assistant Chief David Kaplan said. "Four of our members immediately went into the pool and within a few minutes after being in the pool, because there was very little visibility in the pool, they were able to locate a second child. That child was pulled from the pool and we began life-saving treatment on the second child also."

CPR was performed on the toddlers as they were rushed to the hospital, but they did not survive.

"Our emergency department staff worked feverishly in hopes of a different outcome, sadly it was not to be," Plainview Hospital said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this tragic situation." 

Neighbors said the family moved into the house about one month ago and the home was undergoing renovations.

"I called my husband at home and even he's crying. When I pick up my boys, my grandsons, from camp, I'm going to give them the biggest hug," neighbor Lamba Anu said. "I wish this never happened to anybody."

"I'm surprised more than you are probably, because I just got the news a second ago," Yoram Amiran said. "I don't know the house -- I know that it was renovated recently and resold. That's all I know."

"It's heartbreaking. I have two grandkids – one is a 3-year-old and one is turning seven, and I have a pool too, but we didn't open the pool for the last two years," said Kawaljeet Ahuja. "It's been very scary."

Huntington town officials told CBS2 the pool met all code requirements when it was inspected in May, including gates, alarms and latches.

It is not known how the boys got out of the house.

Their father, Patrick, was on his way to work at the time.