Toddler trapped in water storage tank at summer camp is hospitalized, Vermont cops say
UPDATE: The 3-year-old boy, identified as Tate Holtzman, of Cambridge, Vermont, died this past weekend while hospitalized, Vermont State Police announced in a July 12 news release. He died from drowning, according to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington, police said. “The manner of death is classified as an accident.”
The original story continues below.
A 3-year-old boy became trapped inside a Vermont resort’s water storage tank while participating in a summer day camp program, state police said.
The toddler was taken to a hospital in an ambulance with critical injuries after falling into the water-filled basin at Smugglers’ Notch Resort in Cambridge at about 2:45 p.m. July 6, according to a state police news release.
The child was walking outside in an area adjacent to the resort’s outdoor splash pad before falling into the underground tank. He was stuck for about 10 minutes, authorities said.
Lifeguards freed the boy from the basin before he was sent to University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, according to the release.
His condition is considered life-threatening, police said. An update on the incident, which was described as an “accident,” will be provided when available, according to authorities.
Now a state police investigation is underway. The Vermont Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the state Department for Children and Families were alerted to the incident, according to the release.
At Smugglers’ Notch Resort, its Treasures program offers all-day child care for children as young as 6 weeks old through age 3 on weekdays.
Its million-dollar child care center is state licensed and run by camp counselors, according to the resort’s website. There, toddlers 2.5 to 3 years old have access to indoor and outdoor activities, including the resort’s splash pad.
Smugglers’ Notch Resort didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on July 7.
Anyone who may have information relevant to the state police investigation is asked to call 802-878-7111.
Cambridge is about 225 miles northwest of Boston.
This story was originally published July 7, 2023 at 10:33 AM with the headline "Toddler trapped in water storage tank at summer camp is hospitalized, Vermont cops say."
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