WATER DEATHS PROMPT CAUTION.

Byline: Sharline Chiang and Bhavna Mistry Daily News Staff Writers

Pools and lakes lured many seeking a cool respite from this weekend's hot weather, but proved tragic for two San Fernando Valley families.

A man from Sylmar drowned in Castaic Lake and a small child drowned in a family swimming pool in Mission Hills, both Saturday evening.

Fire officials urged everyone to see the deaths as reminders of the importance of practicing safety around bodies of water, especially when children are present.

``The warm water is enticing for all of us as warm weather increases,'' Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey said. ``This reminds us we have to inspect our homes, and the homes we're visiting, to find every possible solution to prevent one of these horrible events from happening.''

He added, as children learn to swim ``be sure a competent adult swimmer is within eyesight at all times. And adults, all of us should remember never to swim alone.''

Kevin Lopez, a 2-year-old from San Mateo, drowned after he fell into his grandparents' swimming pool.

On Sunday afternoon, friends and relatives filled the couple's house on Haskell Avenue. A woman who answered the door said the family was not ready to talk about their loss.

Kevin had been missing for five to 10 minutes Saturday when he was found around 7 p.m., fire officials said. He was taken to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, where he was pronounced dead.

Around the same time Saturday night, a 26-year-old man drowned in the swimming area of Castaic Lake after leaving a group of friends, officials said.

``He left the group to cool off in the lake,'' said Los Angeles County sheriff's Detective Martin Rodriguez. ``He had been jet skiing with friends earlier in the day.''

Rodriguez said friends soon noticed the man was missing and began looking for him.

``He was found floating in waist-high water,'' Rodriguez said. ``His friends pulled him from the water and attempted to revive him.''

The man was airlifted from the lower lake area shortly after 7:14 p.m. to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:43 p.m.

Officials estimated he had been in the water for 15 to 25 minutes.

``At this point it appears to be an accidental drowning,'' Rodriguez said. ``There are no other suspicious circumstances.''

An autopsy will determine the exact cause of death, officials said.

The man's identity was withheld pending notification of relatives. The Castaic Lake drowning follows the June 16 death of Brian Swaim, 17, an Antelope Valley High School student who drowned while swimming with friends at Littlerock Reservoir.