Toddler dies after falling into septic tank

A two-year-old boy has died at the Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary after falling into a septic tank west of the city.

EMS said they received a call at about 12:50 p.m. Thursday from a rural property near Priddisthat a child was missing and was believed to have fallen into a septic tank.

"On arrival, paramedics worked with other bystanders to lift him from the tank," said EMS spokesperson Stuart Brideaux.

The child was rushed by STARS air ambulance to hospital in critical, life-threatening condition. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Bystanders, first responders fought to save boy

RCMP Cpl. Curtis Peters said bystanders, firefighters and paramedics tried to save the boy.

"Any death is hard to deal with. We deal with these unfortunately quite a lot but when there are children involved, it reaches at people's heart strings," he said.

"My first thought goes to the family and my second thought goes to the first responders."

It's unknown how long the child was in the tank.

Turner Valley RCMP and the medical examiner's office are investigating, police said in a release. An autopsy has not yet been scheduled.

Priddis is a hamlet in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

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