Police in Ohio say a 9-year-old girl drowned in a residential pool filled with adults, including her dad’s fiancée. Ava Rose McCourt was swimming with Christina Bryant and several other adults at the Clinton Mobile Home Resort in Tiffin on June 28, 2025. Bryant turned her head for just a moment, and the next thing she knew, Ava was at the bottom of the pool.
Deputy Christopher Potter with the Seneca County Sheriff’s Office told The Courier that Bryant told police she last saw Ava on a pool noodle in the water. The child reportedly did not know how to swim. Bryant told police she took her eyes off Ava for a brief time, and when she looked back, the child had disappeared.
The Courier reported people immediately began looking for Ava, and another child found her “lying on the bottom of the pool in the deep end,” according to an incident report. They pulled Ava from the water and began CPR while waiting for emergency responders. Sadly, staff at Mercy Tiffin Hospital pronounced her dead a short time later.
According to her obituary, Ava was a student at Krout Elementary School in Tiffin, Ohio.
“Ava loved life and enjoyed singing, dancing, laughing and giving hugs. She was a very kind girl and loved to spend time with her family and shopping,” the obituary states.
Rebecca Duncan and Rhonda Yarrish created a GoFundMe account for Ava’s family. They have raised nearly $2,000 thus far.
“Ava had the sweetest soul and knew no stranger. She was always one to run up you to give the biggest and best hugs. She brought so much joy and love to her family and friends,” according to a post on the page. “Jesse, Chrissy, and Kinsey loved their daughter to pieces, and she will be missed dearly by many.”
Potter told The Courier that the pool had no safety violations, and prosecutors opted not to file charges. Police closed the investigation.
