Warning - Horrible News

STATE OF VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
VERMONT STATE POLICE PRESS RELEASE

Drowning Incident at Vernon Dam
Detective Sergeant John Hagen, Royalton Barracks - 802-234-9933

Vernon, VT 7/22/2011 – At approximately 4:30PM on Thursday July 21 detectives with the Vermont State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation were dispatched to the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital for the unattended death of a 2 year old male child. Through the course of the investigation detectives learned that the child was swimming with family and friends at the Vernon Dam beach area on the Connecticut River. The 2 year old was last seen in the water wading around. Minutes later the child was missing. The family members and friends at the beach began searching for the child and called 911. The child was found downstream face down in the water by people fishing from the shore. The child was brought to shore and transported by Rescue to Brattleboro Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The death is believed to be an accidental drowning. The child was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy.

The identification of the child is being withheld pending the notification of the next-of-kin.

The Vermont State Police urge caution when swimming in Vermont’s natural water settings such as lakes and rivers, as it is remarkable how quickly a recreational swim can become a life-and-death situation. Drowning is the sixth leading cause of unintentional injury death for people of all ages, and the second leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 14 years.