A New York toddler died after he fell into a grease trap at a Tim Horton’s.
Fox News reports that the boy’s mother brought him to her job at a Tim Horton’s restaurant in Rochester. The boy apparently wandered away from her which alerted her to contact police around 11 a.m. A witness spotted the boy inside of the grease trap and rescued him then performed CPR. After police and first responders arrived at the scene, they performed CPR on him but was unsuccessful.
The Rochester Police Department reported that the three-year-old boy fell into a grease trap behind the restaurant and was unable to get out. He was transported to a local hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Rochester Police Department investigator Francis Camp said in a statement that the grease trap appeared to be “unsecured” and gave way when the toddler stepped on top of it.
Camp described the grease pit as similar to a manhole, just steps from the rear of the donut shop. The lid covering it was plastic.
“The lid gave way and he fell into the grease trap,” he said. “It looks like it was an unsecured lid.”
A grease trap, which is typically a steel tank, is used to keep fats, oils, and grease out of the sanitary sewer system.
The restaurant released a statement in the aftermath of the incident:
“What occurred today was a tragedy and on behalf of the Tim Hortons family, we offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the young boy who passed away.”
