Dad confesses to drowning baby in freezing pond – but she miraculously survives

A six-month-old baby girl is lucky to be alive after surviving an alleged drowning attempt carried out by her father.

Jonathon Zicarelli reportedly walked into a police station in Missouri in the US and told police he had just drowned his baby daughter in a nearby pond, according to a report from Café Mom.

Officers immediately rushed to the scene and found the little girl floating face-up in the freezing cold water.

The 28-year-old father allegedly told police that he had been thinking about killing the girl in the day leading up to the drowning attempt because of “bad thoughts.”

He drove by the pond several times before going ahead with the deed. He allegedly placed the baby into the water and “watched her sink” before driving away.

Police who arrived at the scene told the local TV news station that the baby had floated to the surface and appeared lifeless and lethargic but still was alive. She had grass in her mouth and mud in her eyes, according to police reports. 

One of the responding officers reportedly performed CPR and then wrapped the baby in his uniform shirt to keep her warm as she had severe hypothermia.

It is estimated that the little girl was in the water for around five or 10 minutes. She is now in a stable condition in hospital.

"Somebody was certainly watching out over that kid today, without a doubt," Lt. Aaron Fordham told KMBC-TV. “She’s still continuing to make progress.”