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

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A 2-year-old boy was found dead in a Florida canal on Saturday evening in an apparent “accidental drowning,” Volusia County deputies said.

The parents of the child reported him lost around 6 p.m. on a 10-acre property on Flowing Creek Way in Osteen.

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

The mother saw her child in the water, and she and a neighbor brought the boy up to the bank where officials began CPR.

An investigation revealed that the boy was playing in a fenced backyard with the dogs. But as he was playing, he opened a gate and walked nearly 300 feet to a canal, which was covered from view by trees.

The sheriff’s office said the mom had kept the back door open and regularly checked on him.

The 2-year-old was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died.

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

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