Months after an Indian-origin doctor was charged with killing her four-year-old daughter by drowning her in a swimming pool at a short-term rental home in Florida, US authorities have released the 911 call she made reporting the incident. Investigators allege the call was staged to conceal the child’s death.
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, Neha Gupta, a 37-year-old paediatrician based in Oklahoma, told emergency dispatchers in June 2025 that her daughter, Aria Talathi, had fallen into a pool during the night. Gupta and her daughter were visiting Miami from Oklahoma at the time.
In the 911 recording released by authorities, Gupta is heard saying, “She was in the pool. I tried to save her, but I don’t know how to swim. I tried to get her out.”
She told the dispatcher they had been sleeping when she heard a noise and found the child in the pool.
When asked if the girl was awake, Gupta replied, “No, she’s at the bottom of the pool… she’s not moving.” The dispatcher repeatedly urged her to try to pull the child out of the water while emergency responders were on the way.
Gupta asked when paramedics would arrive and said she was trying to help. When questioned about the pool’s depth, she said she believed it was around nine feet but was unsure.
Police officers later arrived at the scene and were heard removing the child from the pool. Gupta reportedly told paramedics she did not know how long her daughter had been in the water, estimating around 20 minutes.
However, investigators said the autopsy revealed no water in the child’s lungs or stomach, leading authorities to conclude that the girl was already dead before being placed in the pool. Officials believe the child was smothered to death.
Gupta was later arrested and remains in jail without bond. She and her legal team have maintained that Aria’s death was accidental. She is scheduled to return to court in May.
Court records also show that at the time of the incident, Aria’s father had been seeking full custody and had raised concerns about Gupta’s mental health. He told police he was unaware that his daughter had been taken to Florida.