Three-year-old boy dies falling into septic tank

The young boy had removed the lid of a neighbor’s septic tank before falling in, according to authorities

The three-year-old was reportedly playing with his brother and a neighbor when the incident took place (Getty/iStock)

A three-year-old boy died Sunday in Washington after falling into a neighbor’s septic tank, local authorities have reported.

The young boy was playing with his older brother, four, and a six-year-old neighbor in the town of Lakewood, less than a one-hour drive southwest of Seattle, when the incident took place, per Pierce County Sheriff's Office via USA Today.

The office added that "an adult was in and out of the house” with the children.

At some point that day, the three-year-old managed to get access to a neighbor's septic tank by removing its lid before falling in.

His brother reportedly went inside and told their grandmother, who called 911 at around 2:15pm, according to WIFR.

The Independent has contacted Pierce County Sheriff's Office for further details.

Ten minutes later firefighters and deputies were reportedly on the scene, but found the boy dead in the seven-foot-deep tank, which was approximately four to five feet full.

Authorities said they had to pump the tank for around 45 minutes to empty it of its contents before they could remove the three-year-old's body. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The sheriff's office told USA Today that no charges have been referred to prosecutors.