Two-year-old boy dies in apparent accidental drowning in Osteen Saturday

A two-year-old boy who was reported lost on a 10-acre Osteen-area property yesterday evening was found in a canal in an apparent accidental drowning, the Volusia Sheriff's Office reported Sunday morning.

Deputies responded to a 911 call just before 6 p.m. Saturday at the property on Flowing Creek Way. The parents of Levi Dellarco were already searching for him. Deputies arrived and assisted in an interior and exterior search.

Around 6:15 p.m., Levi’s mother noticed one of the family’s dogs was wet, and the other was barking at the bank of a retention canal. She then saw Levi in the water and rushed in to pull him out. She and a neighbor brought him to the bank, where deputies began CPR, the sheriff's office reported in a release.

Due to the terrain and distance from a main road, deputies transported Levi in a patrol vehicle while continuing life-saving measures until meeting emergency medical personnel at Osteen Maytown Road. Levi was rushed to an area hospital but was pronounced deceased at 7:04 p.m.

The initial findings of the investigation indicate Levi was playing in a fenced backyard with the dogs while his mother kept the back door open and checked on him regularly. While playing, Levi was able to open a gate and travel about 300 feet to a canal that was obstructed from view by brush and trees.

"The Sheriff’s Office sends sincere condolences to Levi’s family, and to all who responded to the call in the hopes of a different outcome," the release said.