Media release from Hawaii County Police

Hawaiʻi Island police are investigating the death of a toddler in Kailua-Kona as a public accident.

Responding to an 8:58 a.m. call Friday (February 22) Kona patrol officers made contact with a 30-year-old woman on Lamaokeola Street in Kailua-Kona, who reported that she had been watching her 18-month-old son play in a vacant lot. She reportedly turned away for a few seconds. When she looked back, her son was missing.

After searching for 10-15 minutes, the woman found her son floating face down in a plastic tank filled with water. The child was unresponsive when the woman removed him from the tank.

The woman attempted cardio-pulmonary resuscitation until Fire Department rescue personnel arrived. They took the boy to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:37 a.m. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.

The Area II Criminal Investigations Section is continuing the investigation. Police do not suspect foul play.