A three-year-old boy was found dead in a septic tank over the weekend after playing in a backyard, police said.
The Pierce County Sheriff's Department told FOX 13 Seattle that the young child – a resident of Lakewood, Washington – was pronounced dead after being recovered from the tank around 3 p.m. Monday. Authorities were notified of the incident around 2:20 p.m. the same day.
Investigators believe the boy was playing with his four-year-old brother and his six-year-old neighbor before falling into a neighbor's septic tank.
The child reportedly removed the tank's lid before falling in.
His brother quickly went inside to alert his grandmother, who then called the police.
“Detectives and forensic experts were called to the scene to document the incident,” Sergeant Darren Moss said in a statement.
Authorities told FOX 13 that an adult was “going in and out of the house with them.”
The house in Lakewood, Washington, where a three-year-old boy died after falling into a septic tank. KIRO7
Police believe the toddler fell into the tank while playing with his four-year-old brother and six-year-old neighbor. KIRO7
The child had removed the lid of the tank before falling in. KIRO7
According to a report in the Tacoma News Tribune, the tank was “about the size of a sewer manhole” and had a diameter of just under three feet.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department for more information but did not immediately receive a response.
Authorities are actively investigating the incident. Further details are not available at this time.
Comments are closed.