11-month-old falls in septic tank while outside with kids and dies, Alabama cops say
An 11-month-old was outside with other kids when he fell into a septic tank in Alabama, officials said.
The child died after the “tragic accident” unfolded on Wednesday night, Calhoun County Sheriff Matthew Wade told AL.com.
Officials said the baby, who wasn’t identified in news reports, was with other children at about 7 p.m. while his father was helping with someone’s nearby car. The dad noticed he hadn’t seen the boy and started searching, the sheriff’s office said.
That’s when he found his son in a septic tank and pulled him out, WBRC reported.
Deputies said he performed CPR on the baby before first responders got to the scene. The child was taken to a nearby hospital and was pronounced dead, WBRC reported.
News outlets didn’t list the 11-month-old’s cause of death. The sheriff’s office said it is investigating the incident, which happened in Alexandria, roughly 65 miles northeast of Birmingham.
“It appears to be just a tragic accident,’’ and officials don’t expect to file charges, Wade said, according to AL.com.
He told news outlets the septic tank had a plastic cover that wasn’t secure.
“Whether the child stepped on it or crawled across it, it opened up and the child fell inside the septic tank,” the sheriff said, according to WIAT.
The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ requests for additional information on Friday.
This story was originally published September 3, 2021 at 12:56 PM with the headline "11-month-old falls in septic tank while outside with kids and dies, Alabama cops say."
