Florida Toddler Found Dead In Canal From A Suspected Drowning In Bradenton

Police in Florida are investigating the death of a toddler after a person pulled the 2-year-old boy from a canal.

The incident occurred on Friday at approximately 10:31 a.m. local time when a bystander saw the toddler in the water near the Carlton Arms Apartments in Bradenton and called the police.

The individual pulled the boy out of the water and stayed with him until emergency services arrived. Although the paramedics arrived five minutes later, the toddler did not survive and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police arrived around 10:40 a.m. local time and were later joined by forensic investigators who stayed in the area for hours following the incident.

The Bradenton Police Department located the parents of the boy, who lived at the nearby apartment complex, and are working with them to learn more about how the child ended up in the canal.

Police have also provided the family with support services and will offer peer-to-peer support to first responders impacted by the incident.

The toddler’s cause of death has not been confirmed, but police suspect he drowned in the canal.

“This is a sad reminder that drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages one to four,” the police department shared in a Facebook post.

“While most drownings in children one to four happen in swimming pools, drownings can happen anytime, including when children are not expected to be near water, such as when they gain unsupervised access to pools or other bodies of water.”

Officials have not revealed whether the child was with the parents or a caregiver leading up to the time of his drowning.

Police are encouraging anyone with information to contact detectives or leave an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers.