LEWISTON – An 18-month-old boy died Wednesday night after he was found unconscious in a bathtub at 118 Howe St.

Police officers who first responded to the apartment attempted to revive the toddler while waiting for emergency paramedics to arrive. The efforts continued for a half-hour inside the apartment before the baby was taken to Central Maine Medical Center, where he died.

The child was not identified.

The boy’s 22-year-old mother first reported finding him face down in the water about 8:15 p.m., police said. Moments later, two officers arrived at the second floor apartment near the end of Howe Street.

“The officers jumped right out of their cars and ran right up there,” said 17-year-old Chris L’Heureux, who lives next door. “They didn’t waste any time at all.”

Police Officers Eric Syphers and David Levesque began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the toddler, receiving instructions from an emergency dispatcher. Minutes later, several paramedics and firefighters responded and the efforts continued.

Neighbors said the child’s mother lives in the apartment with her boyfriend and three young sons. Yelling often is heard from the apartment, the neighbors said, but it was quiet Wednesday night.

“I didn’t hear any commotion at all,” said Jolyn L’Heureux, who lives next door. “There was no screaming or yelling.”

“It was quiet,” said 56-year-old Martin Saucier, who lives across the street. “Then I looked outside, and there were all these lights out here.”

By 8:30 p.m., the end of Howe Street was clogged with five police cruisers, three ambulances and dozens of neighbors. Shortly after, the toddler was carried from the apartment with Syphers and two paramedics still attempting life-saving measures.

The toddler’s mother, a certified nurse assistant, was met by her mother at the scene, and they drove to the hospital behind the ambulance. Syphers, sweaty and clearly shaken after the ambulance pulled away, was called to a reported burglary seconds later.

“Something like this involving a young person, and particularly a child, it hits us hard,” said police Sgt. Danny LaChance. “I think every one of us at that scene, including the paramedics and the firefighters, has a child about that age.”

Maine State Police were notified about the death to assist with an investigation or to take over. Police stressed, however, that there was no indication the death was anything other than an accident.

A half-hour after the initial police call, neighbors continued to gather on Howe Street. They said the child’s mother has lived in the neighborhood for roughly two months, although none of them seemed to know her well.

“It’s awful,” Jolyn L’Heureux said. “It’s so sad. It’s just a baby. His life hasn’t even begun yet.”

It was unknown how long the toddler had been in the tub of water before his mother found him. Syphers and Levesque, the first officers at the scene, are both trained in emergency medical response.

“Everybody up there was doing everything they could to save that child’s life,” LaChance said. “This has been a very emotional night.”