2-year-old found dead in Florida canal after ‘accidental drowning,’ officials say

A lifebuoy floating on the water for concept use

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – A 2-year-old boy was found dead in a Florida canal Saturday night in what appeared to be an “accidental drowning,” Volusia County officials said.

The child’s parents reported him missing around 6 p.m. from a 10-acre property on Flowing Creek Way in Osteen.

According to the sheriff’s office, the toddler’s mother noticed one of her dogs was wet and the other dog was barking on the bank of a retention canal.

The mother saw her child in the water and, together with a neighbor, brought the boy to the shore, where the officers began resuscitation.

An investigation revealed that the boy was playing with the dogs in a fenced back yard, but while he was playing, he opened a gate and ran nearly 100 yards to a canal that was hidden by trees.

The sheriff’s office said the mother left the back door open and checked on him regularly.

The two-year-old was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died.

“The Sheriff’s Office would like to extend its sincere condolences to the family and all who responded to the call in hopes of a different outcome,” Volusia County officials said.