Toddler found dead in Wood County

“A view of Parkersburg, West Virginia from a nearby hill”

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — A 3-year-old boy was found dead near a dock in Wood County.

The Wood County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday that officers were dispatched to Happy Valley Road in Parkersburg to investigate a call about a missing three-year-old child.

When officers arrived on scene, they found that the three-year-old had wandered out the back door of the home without warning and left the house. Officers, with assistance from the Mineral Wells and Eastwood Volunteer Fire Departments, searched the exterior of the home and found the child unconscious near a dock. Happy Valley Road runs along the Little Kanawha River.

Officers performed life-saving measures on the toddler until paramedics arrived on the scene and transported the child to Camden Clark Medical Center. The toddler was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

Following the incident, officers notified Child Protective Services, which is assisting the Sheriff’s Office with the investigation. No crime is suspected at this time and the names of those involved have not been released.