Ponte Vedra Beach drowning victim has died

Historic City News was informed that, earlier this afternoon, Raven Malden, the 10-year-old Pensacola girl rescued from a near drowning shortly after midnight yesterday morning, has died.

Witnesses to the event at the Hilton Garden Inn, located at 45 PGA Tour Boulevard, Ponte Vedra Beach, were already providing CPR to the girl in an attempt to save her life by the time deputies arrived. Malden, along with three other family members – all juveniles – went swimming in the pool, which apparently was closed. It appeared no adults were present when the girl became distressed in the water and began to drown.

Two of the other children attempted to pull the girl from the pool while the third child ran to get help from a hotel employee. Another adult in the area of the hotel property also responded to help the child.

Resuscitation efforts were continued until emergency medical personnel arrived from St Johns County Fire Rescue. The girl was stabilized for transportation to nearby Beaches Baptist Hospital.

Unable to recover on her own, the patient was airlifted in critical condition to Wolfson Children’s Hospital in downtown Jacksonville, where she died.

The Duval County Medical Examiner will perform an examination of the girl to establish the cause and manner of death. The law enforcement investigation in St Johns County is continuing and pending receipt of the autopsy report, according to sheriff’s spokesman Kevin Kelshaw.