2-Year-Old Boy Tragically Dies After Falling Into Septic Tank At South Carolina Home

A toddler from New York has tragically died after falling into a septic tank while on a visit to South Carolina, along with his mom and siblings.

First responders in Cherokee County arrived at a house on Bonner Road, in a largely rural area northwest of Gaffney, after being informed of the incident at around 11 a.m. Tuesday.

The 2-year-old boy, identified as Hawkins Dusty Abercrombie from Calcium, New York, had traveled to South Carolina with his family members when the incident took place, according to WSPA.

Before the child was found in the septic tank, the mother had noticed Hawkins was missing and began searching around the house with the help of a few other people. They eventually found the lid on a septic tank upside down and removed it to find a pacifier floating in the water.

“This child, two siblings and his mom were visiting friends ... when the mother said she noticed him missing,” Cherokee County coroner Dennis Fowler said in a news release, according to Miami Herald. “During a search around the home, the lid on a septic tank was noticed to have been upside down.”

“The mother, along with other people at the house, removed the lid and found a pacifier floating in the water. The boy was later discovered underwater,” Fowler went on to say.

Hawkins was removed from the tank, and CPR was administered. The toddler was then rushed to Cherokee Medical Center and eventually pronounced dead, according to WVVA.

“This is such a tragic event,” Fowler added in his statement. “This family needs our prayers.”

The toddler’s death is currently being investigated.

A similar incident was reported last year after a 4-year-old boy and his toddler brother fell into a septic tank and lost their lives in Dusun Makmur, Indonesia.

The children were playing outside their home near an uncovered septic tank and fell inside while their mother, 35-year-old Suhar, was cleaning the home and singing karaoke in a very loud voice. When the mother realized she hadn’t seen the children for a while, she went outside and found them motionless inside the tank. The children were taken to the hospital but did not survive.