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One-year-old boy dies after his head gets stuck in rural indoor slide missouri nursery last week, police said.
The incident happened Thursday morning at a home day care outside of Potosi, Missouri.
according to Washington County Sheriff’s Officethe child slid in through a small opening in the toy slide at home. His head became lodged, restricting his airway and causing a loss of oxygen, ultimately leading to his death.
“It’s horrific,” Washington County Sheriff Scott Reed said. Police received a call from the daycare center reporting a “child not breathing.”
“Two deputies from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) were the first to arrive on scene and immediately initiated life-saving measures, including CPR,” Reed said in a statement.
When staff arrived, they immediately began CPR, but the toddler could not be revived.
Reed explained in detail how the child became trapped in the slide.
“It only took two or three steps to get to a little platform, and then the slide went off the side,” he said. “The slide has railings on the sides. There’s an opening at the bottom of the railing that’s about 5 inches high and that wide. It’s big enough for a child to slide down, but not big enough for his head to fit through.”
The daycare was run out of a woman’s home and did not require a permit due to the number of children present, whom Reed estimated was four to five. The identity of the daycare provider was not released.
Reed said there were several other children in the home at the time of the incident, including the provider’s own children.
The child’s identity has not been released. Reed said the boy’s family is devastated and the loss has shocked the entire community.
“These guys are well known and popular,” he said. “It’s a pretty small, tight-knit community and when something happens, it affects everyone.”
The coroner’s preliminary ruling classified the death as accidental. But the investigation is still ongoing. Asked whether the tragedy could have been avoided, Reed declined to speculate.
“I’m sure there is,” he said. “I’m not going to speculate on that because as we all know, we live in a world today where legal action is taken in all directions.”
The investigation was conducted by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri State Highway Patrol and Missouri Department of Family Services.
“The Washington County Sheriff’s Office extends its deepest condolences to the child’s family, caregivers and all those affected by this tragic loss,” the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “Out of respect for the family and the integrity of the investigation, no further details will be released at this time.”