Boy, 2, drowned as family were moving house

The family of a two-year-old who was found dead in a canal were in the process of moving homes specifically because of the risk of drowning, an inquest has heard.

Jayce Olutola was pulled out of the water in Wolverhampton on 11 August.

A police officer tried to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, the Black Country Coroner's Court heard.

He lived with his parents on Hendon Avenue, near the canal in Ettingshall, and the family had been moving belongings to their new home when the incident happened.

Senior Coroner Zafar Siddique told the inquest his accidental death was caused by drowning after falling into the canal.

The coroner's court heard that the family had wanted to move from the area to minimise the risk of Jayce falling in the canal.

His mother had left the family home earlier in the day to drop off some things at the new property.

When the two-year-old's great aunt had realised she could not hear him, she searched the house. She then found the garage door open and rushed to search the nearby park.

A lone police officer was first deployed to the home address at about 17:40 GMT and drove around the housing estate and the bridge that crosses the canal.

PC Bates then continued her search on foot by the canal "constantly scanning" the water before she saw a body floating on the surface.

"She saw a white coloured t-shirt and his head down in the water," the coroner's court heard.

The officer took the boy in her arms and placed him on the footpath where she administered CPR. Soon after, other emergency service crews arrived, but Jayce was confirmed dead at the scene.

Mr Siddique said his "heart goes out to the family", who were not in attendance at the hearing.

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