A two-year-old girl remains on life support in hospital after being found in cardiac arrest in a home in Lachine.

First responders were called to the home on 3rd Ave. around 10 p.m. Tuesday after the girl was found unconscious.

Police say the girl's parents were giving her a bath and may have stepped away for a moment.

Neigbour Johanne Letourneau heard the commotion.

"The door swung open and the father started screaming," said Letourneau.

The toddler's uncle, who happened to be there, told Letourneau that he had been watching the child, but had stepped away for "two minutes."

When he went back into the bathroom the child was under the water.

The uncle performed CPR on the child until emergency services arrived and took over.

Montreal police investigators arrived at the scene a few hours after the girl was rescued to try to determine what happened.

Police believe the child drowned in the bathtub, and are seeking to determine if it was accidental or due to neglect.

Marie-France Loyer, who is a neighbour and friend of the girl's mother, said she spoke to her Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, and she is convinced the child will pull through.

"The little girl is doing well. I spoke with the mother. She is in hospital in a coma, but she is responding well to treatment. Everything is going well for her," said Loyer.

Authorities said late Wednesday afternoon it was still too early to be certain the girl would survive.

Drowning is the second leading cause of death for children under the age of five in Canada.

The Montreal Children's Hospital says the rule of thumb for parents is always to remain within arm's reach of a child in water pointing out it takes just 20 seconds for a child to drown in as little as 3 cm of water.