Kings Park man dies after being found in backyard pool

A 47-year-old Kings Park man was found unresponsive in an inground backyard pool on Linden Avenue and could not be revived, a death that police said appears non-criminal but lands squarely in Suffolk County’s growing drowning-prevention crisis.

Suffolk County police said the incident was reported at about 3:30 p.m. on May 18, 2026, at 22 Linden Ave. Antonio Bonilla Jr., who lived at the residence, was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives from the Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad responded, as is standard in an unexplained death, and later said they believe the drowning was non-criminal in nature.

The location makes the case especially stark for Suffolk families entering pool season. This was not a beach rescue or a public waterfront emergency, but a private residential backyard in Kings Park, where an ordinary summer setting became fatal in a matter of minutes. Drowning can happen quickly and quietly, and police gave no indication of a long struggle, outside involvement or any suspected criminal act.

The death comes as county health and hospital officials have been warning that drowning is a preventable danger, not an unavoidable accident. Suffolk County launched its first-ever Drowning Prevention Action Plan on Aug. 28, 2025, after officials said drownings in the county rose 60% from 2023 to 2024. They said New York recorded 84 drowning fatalities in 2024, including 24 in Suffolk County, and that many of the local cases involved young children and backyard pools.

The county plan was developed with The ZAC Foundation, Stop Drowning Now and Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, with input from more than 30 local stakeholders. It was designed to strengthen data collection, public education, pool safety, workforce training and community outreach as more families spend time around home pools during the warm months.

Suffolk County’s Department of Health Services says residential pools should be enclosed by a fence or other barrier at least four feet high, with self-closing, self-latching gates. The county also says New York State law requires an approved pool alarm for pools built after Dec. 14, 2006, unless the pool has an automatic power safety cover.

National safety guidance points in the same direction. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says drowning is preventable and stresses constant supervision, properly fenced home pools, swim lessons and life jackets. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends multiple layers of protection, including four-sided fencing, close supervision and swim lessons. For Kings Park, the loss on Linden Avenue is another reminder that the most dangerous water may be the water just outside the back door.