Nationwide — Xion Thomas, a 6-year-old African American boy from Wood County, Ohio, died after drowning in a foster home swimming pool while in temporary state custody. His mother is asking questions after she said she had warned child services that her son could not swim.
Xion was found in a pool at a Bowling Green home on July 30. Emergency responders took him to Wood County Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The boy had recently completed kindergarten and was preparing to start first grade. He had been placed with a foster family through a private foster care agency because Lucas County Children Services (LCCS) did not have enough available foster homes.
Xion’s mother said her son had been in foster care since November 2025 while she worked through her case plan and visited her four children every week. She said she repeatedly told caseworkers that Xion could not swim and should not be around swimming pools. She questioned how he ended up in a pool despite those warnings.
“I want to know what happened. How did he end up in the pool after I warned them? I warned them about my baby around swimming pools — and he still drowned in a swimming pool. That makes no sense to me,” she told 13 Action News.
Authorities received two 911 calls from the foster home after Xion was found in the pool. During one call, a person told dispatchers the child had likely been underwater for about 10 to 15 minutes. Another caller said Xion had slipped underwater and that CPR was being performed while they waited for help.
Deputies, firefighters, and emergency medical crews responded to the scene. Xion’s mother said she rushed to the hospital after hearing about the incident and was told by a nurse that her son did not survive.
She described Xion as a caring and responsible child who looked after his siblings. She said he enjoyed sports and had recently developed an interest in soccer before his death.
LCCS said it was investigating the circumstances surrounding Xion’s death with the Wood County Sheriff’s Department. The agency said private foster homes are licensed by the state and must follow the same child welfare standards as LCCS-approved homes.