Boy, 2, drowned in canal while family ‘were moving house due to water fears’

A TWO-year-old boy drowned in a canal as his family were in the process of moving house due to fears of living so close to the water, an inquest heard.

Jayce Olutola was found by a police officer after he went missing from his home in Ettingshall, Wolverhampton, on August 11.

The officer tried to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, Black Country Coroner's Court heard.

The inquest was told Jayce lived with his parents on nearby Hendon Avenue but they were about to move house due to safety concerns over living so near to the waterway.

His mum had left the house at around 5pm to move things into the new property but left the garage door open.

Around half an hour later, emergency services were called after his great-aunt realised the toddler was nowhere to be found indoors.

The inquest heard he probably escaped through the garage and he was recovered from the Wolverhampton and Birmingham Canal at around 6pm.

Black Country Senior Coroner Mr Zafar Siddique read statements from the family who he said were excused from attending the hearing due to the distressing circumstances.

He said they were "moving to a new home to minimise the risk of drowning".

Mr Siddique added: "Jayce lived with his parents who were in the process of moving.

"His father was at work and his mother left at about 5pm to move things into the new property.

"At some point his great-aunt noticed she could not hear Jayce in the house.

"She searched the house and saw that the garage door was open.

"She immediately went to search round the house for him and out in the streets nearby.

"Sadly she could not find him and started to look round the canal area.

"His mother then returned and dialled 999 to report him missing."

Mr Siddique also read the statement of PC Bates, the officer who tragically found him.

The officer described how she carried out a search of the towpath for several minutes before spotting him in the water.

PC Bates stated: "I saw a member of the public walking and I stopped to ask them if they had seen a small child. They had not.

"I turned around and walked towards Jayce's home and after about 30ft I saw what looked like a little child in the water, in the middle of the canal about 5ft away."

She described how she pressed her emergency button to summon for an ambulance then climbed into the water.

She stated that she lifted him out of the water before carrying out CPR until other officers and a doctor arrived at the scene.

The coroner said Jayce was taken to Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital where he was pronounced dead despite efforts to save him.

A statement submitted by the Canal & River Trust said there were three standard "staggered" design access gates to the towpath in the vicinity.

It further stated that it promoted "safety initiatives" warning of the risk of drowning in canals.

Recording his conclusion, Mr Siddique said: "In this case we have been told that Jayce Olutola's family were in the process of moving.

"He managed to leave the property, probably through the garage door and headed towards the canal nearby.

"A short time later he was found in the canal submerged and died due to drowning.

"I conclude that Jayce died as a result of accidental death as a result of falling in the canal.

"This is an absolute tragedy for the family an my heart goes out to them.

"My deepest condolence to them."