Girl, 2, drowns at Texas RV park after falling 15 feet into septic tank, officials say

A two-year-old girl died Wednesday after officials say she fell 
15 feet into a septic tank at an RV Park in Texas and drowned.

The Rockport Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to the 
Paradise Lagoons RV resort park in Aransas Pass on Highway 188 
at around 5:30 p.m. over reports that a child had fallen into a 
septic tank, Public Information Officer Gillian Cox said in a 
press release.

Once on the scene, first responders located Charleigh Nicole 
Nelson who had fallen approximately 15 feet below into water. 
Witnesses say they saw the young girl walk on the lid of the 
tank which then buckled beneath her weight, KRIS reported.

Family members told the station that they attempted to pull 
Charleigh to safety before rescue officials arrived using a rope 
and a backhoe but were unable to reach her.

Firefighters made several attempted to reach the toddler before 
eventually receiving help from a specialized rope rescue team 
which was able to lower a firefighter into the tank. They were 
able to retrieve Charleigh but approximately an hour had gone by 
since she first fell in and she was pronounced dead on the 
scene, Cox said.

“This is a terrible tragedy for the family of this child, her 
neighbors who witnessed the event, and all of the 1st responders 
who assisted in the recovery,” she continued.

Charleigh’s mother, Brittney Nelson, took to Facebook to thank 
those who have reached out to them since her daughter’s death.

“We truly need and appreciate everyone praying. We are in such 
disbelief but can feel God's spirit around us. We are clinging 
to each other tonight and have faith that God is going to 
strengthen us, comfort us and bring us through this,” she said 
in a post.

The opening to the tank that Charleigh fell into was less than 
two feet in diameter, KRIS reported.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/girl-drowns-texas-rv-park-septic-tank