Very sad news for the parenting community this morning–a Hispanic toddler died earlier today after accidentally drowning in a septic tank behind her New Jersey home. Authorities found her just a few hours after she was originally reported missing.
The case has been ruled accidental, as authorities found "no indication of foul play or trauma" in their preliminary investigation. The two-year-old girl had reportedly been playing in her yard with her four siblings when the incident happened. Search teams found a hole in her yard that led to the septic tank and after the water was pumped from the tank, the young girl's body was found inside.
The name of the girl has not been released but one source has identified the father as Erasmo Castro and said the family originated from the Mexican state of Puebla.
The whole event is so horrific and I have nothing but empathy for the family's loss. But the incident does raise some questions–I, for one, was wondering why the children were left unsupervised. And if someone was there, how could they have not noticed the child crawling into what was police described as a "3-foot-wide hole?" It's one thing to leave older kids by themselves, but this girl was only two. In other words, she was just a baby! So why was no one keeping a closer eye on her? And why were such young children even allowed to play so close to a dangerous area?
The tragedy serves as a significant reminder to parents to remain aware and vigilant about their kid's whereabouts.
Who knows? If more attention had been paid, this toddler's life might have been saved.
What do you think of this tragedy?
Image via AP
