OTTAWA, Ont. – The woman taking care of Jeremie Audette on the day he drowned, broke down on the stand Wednesday at the inquest into the little boy’s death. In July 2010, Jeremie, 2, drowned in a pool at an unlicensed Orleans daycare.

Cynthia McLellan said she had taken her eyes off Jeremie for two or three minutes while she put swimsuits on the other children in her care.  Jeremie was found minutes later face down at the bottom of an above-ground pool.   

When asked by the coroner what measures she had in place to ensure safety, McLellan said she had told the kids not to go into the pool. She said she would also do frequent head counts of the children in her care.

The 15 day inquiry started Monday at the Elgin Street Courthouse. The inquest is looking into the circumstances around the drowning and will make recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths.