A toddler is lucky to be alive after she fell into a pond in her family's backyard in Millcreek and nearly drowned.

The almost 2-year-old girl had just come home near 4100 South and 1400 East with her mother from a shopping trip about 11:30 a.m. Friday. The girl's parents were unloading groceries when the family dog grabbed one of the child's toys and ran out a sliding back door, said Unified Fire Authority Capt. Clint Smith.

The girl chased the dog. An uncle at the home grabbed the toy from the dog and went into the house to wash it off, Smith said. That's when the girl wandered to the pond.

The pond, about 18 inches deep and 6 to 7 feet in diameter, has a fence around most of it, but one side was accessible. The family quickly realized the girl was missing and found her face up and semiconscious in the pool, Smith said.

The girl was flown to Primary Children's Medical Center in serious condition, Smith said. He said the incident serves as a reminder to parents.

"As the weather starts to warm and we're lured outside in search of some sunshine, all of those features that have the remains of winter precipitation in them are now a definite hazard to our children," he said.