Jayce’s body was found floating in the nearby canal (Pictures: SWNS)
A two-year-old boy drowned in a canal shortly before his family had planned to move – due to fears of living near open water.
An inquest heard that toddler Jayce Olutola was found floating face down by a police officer after he went missing from his home in Ettingshall, Wolverhampton on August 11 last year.
The officer tried to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, Black Country Coroner’s Court heard.
Little Jayce lived with his parents on nearby Hendon Avenue, but the family had planned to move due to safety concerns over living so near to the waterway.
His mum had left the house at around 5 pm 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.
Stuffed animals and flowers were left in tribute to the tot (Picture: SWNS)
It’s thought Jayce left through the garage before his body was found an hour later in the Wolverhampton and Birmingham Canal at around 6 pm.
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: ‘Jayce lived with his parents who were in the process of moving. His father was at work and his mother left at about 5 pm 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 floating face down and submerged in the water.
PC Bates stated: ‘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. He was about two inches below the surface.’
She described how she pressed her emergency button to summon an ambulance and then climbed into the water, lifted him out and performed CPR.
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: ‘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 and my heart goes out to them. My deepest condolence to them.’
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