Story By: John Feng, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report
Video Credit: AsiaWire
This footage shows a toddler’s swimming ring flipping upside down inside a kiddies pool as the youngster struggles for dear life for minutes with no adults around him.
The accident happened at a baby accessories shop – owned by the tot’s mother – in Xuzhou District, which is in the city of Yibin in south-western Sichuan Province, on 24th August and led to the boy’s death.
The two-year-old’s mother, Ms Zhao, left her son unattended for six minutes while she went to the toilet, a statement by local police said.
Video from Ms Zhao’s shop shows her tot wearing a swimming ring and standing inside on a step inside a kiddies pool.
The boy falls into the water and the ring flips upside down, leaving him flailing all four limbs in a desperate attempt to right himself.
Harrowing footage from Ms Zhao’s shop shows her boy growing increasingly weaker until he slips out of the swimming ring and floats lifeless and face down in the water.
According to police, Ms Zhao returned six minutes later and rushed her son to the New Town Community Health Health Care Service Station.
Doctors attempted to resuscitate the tot, but he was ultimately declared dead from drowning.
Yibin police are investigating the tragedy as an accident.
The ViralTab page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.