COVINGTON - A five-year-old boy drowned in an above ground swimming pool in the Covington area Saturday afternoon.

Shortly before 4:00 p.m, Deputies with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office were called to Plantation Street, where the boy was visiting his grandmother's house.

At some point, his grandmother became aware she did not know where he was. She was not immediately alarmed because the child commonly likes to play hide and seek, according to the Sheriff's Office.

The child's mother arrived soon and together they began searching for the child. A short time later, he was discovered floating in the above ground swimming pool in the backyard of the residence.

The child's father pulled him out of the pool and immediately began CPR. Fire District 12 responded to the scene and also administered CPR, the Sheriff's Office said.

The child was transported to a local hospital by Acadian Ambulance, where he was pronounced dead.

"This is an extremely sad and tragic event and our prayers are with this family," said Sheriff Randy Smith. "We urge parents, especially as the weather continues to warm up, to be extra cautious when children are playing in and around water."