Tragedy occurs when a three-year-old boy falls and drowns in an unsecured septic tank
It was a bright and vibrant day in March when Amanpreet, her husband and their two young children hosted a housewarming party.
She was feeding her youngest baby when her husband came in and asked if she had seen their three-year-old son, Nihal.
She panicked, but her husband forgot all reason to worry; He assumed the three-year-old was running around somewhere and would show up.
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Three-year-old drowned in an unsecured septic tank
The Wallan home was equipped with a pool and pond, but the family had taken precautions to ensure no one could accidentally fall in.
But after a while they still couldn’t find their toddler and both parents began to panic.
The search became hectic and it was only when a witness saw another child’s foot caught on the lid of a septic tank that they discovered the boy.
Nihal stepped on the unsecured lid, fell and tragically drowned in the septic tank. Emergency services were called at 1:50 p.m., but the boy could not be saved.
“I can’t count how many times I walked over that septic tank,” said mother Amanpreet 9News.
“I kept screaming, ‘No, that’s not Nihal.’ It’s just his sweater.’ But then a man pulled out the sweater and it was my son.”
“We didn’t have time to say goodbye.”
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Requires mandatory screens for all septic tanks
Since August 2022, three children have drowned in septic tanks.
Septic tanks are underground chambers for wastewater and sewage. They are typically found in the backyards of rural and older properties and often feature a sturdy lid that can be moved, broken or left unsecured.
Amanpreet told 9News She had no idea what a septic tank was, let alone the dangers it posed. “Before that day, I had never heard of a septic tank. I didn’t know what it was,” she said.
Kidsafe Victoria CEO Melanie Courtney said a possible solution to the dangerous problem was to install safety grilles over every tank in Australia.
“It’s a very simple mechanism that means if the lid fails, the child can’t fall through,” she said. She also urged “all homeowners who have a septic tank on their property to check their system and lid and ensure they are out of reach of children.”
