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Three Twin Cities drownings reported over the past week

Two young boys and a man have died from drowning over the past week.

MINNEAPOLIS — The lives of two young boys and a man were cut short this past week due to drowning.

Alani King'Yeh Tyler, 4, died on Tuesday, five days after he was rescued from a Minneapolis hotel pool. 

The drowning was ruled as an accident.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help Tyler's family with funeral expenses. 

On Wednesday, 5-year-old Ilyaas Said drowned in an apartment complex pool in Burnsville.

The Dakota County Sheriff's Office is currently investigating the incident.

On Saturday night, 36-year-old Matthew Brust died while trying to help his girlfriend at Crystal Lake in Burnsville.

Authorities say Brust jumped in the water to help his girlfriend. Brust struggled in the water and the boat drifted away. Brust never resurfaced.

The drownings emphasize the need for water safety entering the summer months.

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David Handley with Gold Fish Swim School - Oakdale says we need to be more vigilant in 2021 with all of the changes over the past year.

"Things have been so different for the last year in terms of access to not only just swimming lessons but access to water hazards," Handley said.

Handley also said drowning is nothing like you see in the movies.

"It's not loud, it's not lots of splashing and noise and screaming for help. It's extremely fast and it's silent," he said.

Handley says parents can keep their kids safe when swimming by designating a water watcher and enrolling their kids in swim lessons.

People of all ages can stay safe by using a U.S. Coast Guard-approved floatation device.

To find out if a floatation device is U.S. Coast Guard-approved, check the inside of the life jacket for a stamp or label showing the U.S. Coast Guard approval.

RELATED: Man who jumped into Burnsville lake to save girlfriend found dead

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