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Twin toddlers whose dad allegedly tried to drown them are ‘significantly improving’ after days in ICU

Romney Desronvil, 41, being held on $2m bond after being found in ocean with two children who cannot swim

Michelle Del Rey
Tuesday 25 June 2024 13:23 EDT
Twin toddlers recovering after father allegedly tried to drown them in ocean
Twin toddlers recovering after father allegedly tried to drown them in ocean (WTNH)

The condition of twin toddlers recovering in hospital is “significantly improving” after their father allegedly tried to drown them in Connecticut.

A police officer discovered Romney Desronvil’s car at Dawson Avenue Beach in West Haven at around 2am on Saturday. The car’s headlights had been covered with clothes, according to NBC News.

The officer requested backup as he heard screams coming from the water. According to the outlet, the 41-year-old father was 30 to 40 feet into the ocean and had the children, who are both younger than three under his arms. The children are not able to swim.

As officers jumped into the water, the man went in deeper and yelled “Get away”, “I love you” and “Kill me”. The outlet reported that one officer reportedly saw the father lower his arms, causing the children to be submerged underwater for several minutes.

The officers eventually reached the children and brought them back to the shore. Authorities took them to Yale New Haven Hospital for emergency care.

West Haven Mayor Dorinda Borer said that both children have been extubated and are “significantly improving” in the hospital.

“Those children had two guardian angels that night and it was Officer Williamson and Officer Miller and them together with the entire police department, fire department, the dispatch team, really, you know, saved their lives.”

The total time from when the initial call came in to when the children arrived at the hospital was 22 minutes, fire officials told NBC News.

Both Desronvil and the children’s mother are from New York. The woman rushed down to be by their side after the incident, the mayor said.

“She’s holding up as well as you can imagine,” she said. “She came down here in the middle of the night from New York, so she has been staying by the children’s side 24/7.”

The children’s father is facing multiple attempted murder charges and appeared in court on Monday. His bond has been set at $2m. A judge also ordered that he undergo a mental health evaluation and issued protective orders for the children.

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