A three-year-old girl from Centralia is dead after drowning at a rural Fayette County residence, with the county coroner ruling Sunday that her death was accidental.
Fayette County Sheriff Ronnie Stevens contacted Coroner David Harris on the evening of Friday, July 31, regarding the child's death. The girl was transported to Sarah Bush Lincoln Fayette County Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Harris announced the accidental ruling on Sunday. He has not released the child's name or the specific location of the incident, according to thexradio.com.
The Coroner's Office and the Sheriff's Office are continuing a joint investigation, and both agencies say no further information will be released while that probe is ongoing.
Why it matters — The official accidental ruling closes the question of criminal suspicion while a joint investigation continues, and the case is a stark reminder of drowning risks for young children at private rural properties.
Sources differ on Coroner's first name: Dave Harris (vandaliaradio.com) vs David Harris (wnoi.com)
Reported by effinghamradio.com, vandaliaradio.com, wgel.com, thexradio.com, wnoi.com
Where this comes from
Written by Papalocal's AI from these outlets' reporting. It can miss or misread things; the outlets are the record.