Elderly woman drowns in South Barrington pool

(SOUTH BARRINGTON) An elderly woman drowned in a pool Sunday at her home in northwest suburban South Barrington.

A neighbor found Betty Stas, 86, floating in a pool at her home in the 0-100 block of Beachnut Drive in South Barrington about 12:30 p.m. Sunday, according to South Barrington police and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

The neighbor often brought the woman her newspaper when he saw it at the bottom of the driveway, and when he brought it around back Sunday afternoon he found Stas, police Chief Thomas Roman said.

Stas lived with family, who were away at the time of her death, Roman said.

She was taken to St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates, where she was pronounced dead at 1:08 p.m., according to the medical examiner’s office.

An autopsy Monday found Stas drowned, with heart and lung diseases as contributing factors, according to the medical examiner’s office. Her death was ruled an accident.

“There is no indication this is anything other than a terrible, tragic accident,” Roman said.