3 Family Members Found Dead in NJ Pool Drowned

Three members of a New Jersey family who were found dead in a backyard pool on Monday afternoon drowned, per the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office. A neighbor called 911 after hearing screams, and NJ.com reports Bharat Patel, 62, his 33-year old daughter-in-law, Nisha Patel, and her 8-year-old daughter were found in the above-ground pool.

They all lived in the East Brunswick home, and CNN reports they had moved in just 20 days prior. The Bridgewater Courier News cites real estate records showing the five-bedroom home was purchased in early May. “It’s a nightmare,” Mayor Brad Cohen said. “It’s such an extraordinarily sad thing to happen, especially for a new family that recently moved to East Brunswick." The deaths have been ruled accidental. (More drowning stories.)