Update: Mother arrested after siblings drown at MS Coast apartments, police say
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- Two brothers, 5 and 2, were found unresponsive in a Gautier apartment pool.
- Responders performed nearly an hour of lifesaving efforts before hospital transfer.
- Investigators continue probe; cause ruled drowning and no arrests reported.
Two siblings died and their mother was arrested after the children were found unresponsive on Monday in an unused pool at a Gautier apartment complex, authorities said.
Police were called Monday evening to the apartments off Martin Bluff Road and found the 5-year-old and 2-year-old brothers beside the pool. Jackson County Coroner Bruce Lynd Jr. said their cause of death was drowning.
Gautier Police Chief David Bever confirmed Tuesday morning that the children’s mother, Amber Goldman, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of drug possession. Goldman, 36, was jailed without bond, according to jail records.
“This investigation is ongoing and additional charges are pending,” Bever said.
First responders who arrived at the apartment complex at 30 Three Oaks Drive tried to save the children for almost an hour at the scene, according to police. Authorities said the siblings were later brought to the emergency room at Ocean Springs Hospital, where they died.
The coroner did not name the victims.
Police said the children had been playing outside on Monday when their mother went to look for them and found them in the pool. The pool is overgrown and dilapidated but surrounded by a tall wood fence.
Investigators on Tuesday were still examining how the two young children got past the fencing. In a news release, Bever called their deaths “an unimaginable tragedy.”
“Our hearts are with the family, friends, and first responders impacted by this heartbreaking loss,” he said.
Police are asking anyone with information about the case to call the Gautier Police Department at (228) 497-2486 or Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at (877) 787-5898.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
This story was originally published October 21, 2025 at 8:34 AM.