Investigators are reviewing how the toddlers got outside while relatives slept.
KATY, Texas — Two sisters, ages 2 and 3, drowned in their family’s backyard swimming pool after slipping outside while adults in the home were asleep, authorities said. The girls were found Wednesday at a home in the Katy area and were later pronounced dead at a hospital.
The deaths stunned a fast-growing stretch of suburban west Harris County and prompted an investigation led by sheriff’s office detectives and crime scene specialists. Officials have not released the children’s names and have not said whether any charges are expected. For now, investigators are focused on the timeline inside the home, how the girls reached the backyard, and what barriers or locks were in place, authorities said.
Deputies were called around midday Wednesday to a home in the 21000 block of Creek Edge Court in northeast Katy after a report that two toddlers were in distress in a pool, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said. Recognizing the urgency, dispatchers sent patrol units and medical help as relatives and neighbors tried to pull the girls from the water. In early statements, officials described the calls as frantic and said the rescue effort began before deputies arrived.
According to a preliminary investigation described by authorities, the girls were inside the home with family members when they managed to get out through a patio door that leads to the backyard. Authorities said the children’s mother and the girls’ grandfather were asleep at the time. Investigators have not said how long the girls were outside before they were discovered, and they have not detailed whether the patio door was latched or whether alarms were installed.
Officials said the girls’ grandmother returned from a grocery store trip and noticed the children in the pool. Authorities said she tried to pull them out as others rushed to help and multiple people called 911. First responders began lifesaving measures at the scene. A helicopter medical transport, commonly referred to as Life Flight, was requested, and the girls were flown to a hospital, authorities said. Despite continued attempts to revive them, both children were pronounced dead, officials said.
Gonzalez called the deaths a crushing blow for the family and the community. “This is a devastating loss for the family and our community,” the sheriff said in a public statement, adding that first responders who arrived at the home also faced a difficult scene. Authorities have not released additional details about the girls’ medical condition when they were pulled from the water, and the sheriff’s office has not identified the hospital where they were taken.
The investigation is being handled as an ongoing death inquiry, officials said, with homicide investigators and crime scene personnel involved because the victims are children and because investigators must document what happened with care. Authorities emphasized that the use of those units does not automatically mean a crime occurred. They are expected to review door access points, any fencing or pool gates, and the sequence of events described by the adults who were home.
While investigators work to confirm the facts of Wednesday’s incident, the deaths land amid a broader pattern that public health officials have tracked for years: drowning is a leading cause of death for young children, and swimming pools are a common setting for toddlers who gain access without an adult noticing. State officials who monitor child drownings in Texas have repeatedly warned that incidents can happen quickly and silently, often during routine moments at home when caregivers believe children are indoors.
Katy and the surrounding area have seen rapid residential growth, with many neighborhoods built around backyard recreation and community pools. In newer subdivisions, homes often open to the backyard through wide patio doors and sliding glass doors. Investigators typically look closely at those routes in child drowning cases, along with whether a pool was secured by a barrier, whether gates closed automatically, and whether doors were locked or fitted with alarms, according to standard investigative practice in similar incidents.
Officials have not said whether the pool at the Creek Edge Court home had a dedicated fence separating it from the home or whether it was accessible directly from the patio. They also have not said whether any adults heard the children leave the house. The sheriff’s office has not provided details about how many family members were present in the home when the girls got outside, beyond saying the children lived there with their mother and grandparents.
Neighbors in the area described a heavy emergency response as patrol vehicles and medical crews converged on the quiet cul-de-sac. Some residents said they saw a helicopter land nearby, then lift off toward a hospital, while others watched from a distance as deputies secured the scene. The sheriff’s office did not immediately release information about where the helicopter landed or how long first responders performed resuscitation efforts at the home.
In the hours after the incident, the sheriff asked the public to keep the family and first responders in their thoughts and prayers. The message reflected the emotional weight often carried by emergency crews in child drowning calls, which can involve rapid rescue attempts followed by prolonged efforts to restart breathing and circulation. Officials did not say whether counselors or victim assistance specialists had been assigned to the family, but such support is commonly offered through local agencies in child fatality cases.
Investigators are expected to continue interviews and evidence collection in the coming days, including reviewing any available home security video, neighborhood cameras, or digital doorbell footage that might help confirm timing. They may also seek records related to the pool’s construction and safety features. Authorities have not set a date for releasing a final report, and they have not said whether any citations or referrals will follow.
As of Thursday, the sheriff’s office said the investigation remained open, with detectives still working to determine exactly how the toddlers reached the backyard and entered the pool. Officials said additional information would be released when verified and appropriate, but for now, the case remains an active death investigation.
Author note: Last updated February 12, 2026.