Newborn Found Dead Inside Portable Toilet, Search For Mother Underway

A newborn baby was found dead inside a portable toilet outside the Carnegie Centre on Hastings Street in Vancouver, Canada. The baby was found Wednesday night, police said.

When authorities arrived at the scene, they found the baby had died. One witness told Global News a woman entered the portable washroom in the morning and spent the whole day inside. Some people also offered to help the woman but she refused. It remains unclear if the umbilical cord and placenta were still present on the infant’s body. Other details about the case remain unclear.

“This is, without a doubt, an extremely tragic incident,” police officer Tania Visintin said in a statement. “We need to speak with any witnesses and the mother of this baby as we are deeply concerned for her mental and physical well-being. It has been a tough evening for the community and the department.”

Local police urged anyone with information to call the Major Crime Section at 604-717-2500 with any information related to the incident.

In a recent case in Tennessee, a baby was found discarded with the umbilical cord still attached along the Melton Lake Greenway. Police offered a reward to anyone who helps them in finding out who the baby belongs to.

The incident comes a month after a newborn baby was found abandoned inside a plastic bag near home in Marshville, North Carolina.

A similar incident took place in Australia where a newborn baby was found dead at a Melbourne Beach. The remains of the newborn girl were discovered by a passer-by at the beach. Authorities said that the umbilical cord and placenta were still present on the infant’s body.

Victoria police were investigating the scene and were in search of the newborn’s mother. Following tests that were conducted to determine the exact time frame in which the infant may have died, police said they believe the baby was abandoned at the beach between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. local time (2 a.m. to 12 p.m. EDT) on Monday.