A 1-year, 8-month-old boy tragically drowned yesterday afternoon Sunday, October 13 at his home in Popua, a suburb of Nuku’alofa.
Police were alerted to the incident at approximately 1:45 PM and responded shortly after. Preliminary investigations revealed that the boy had been playing with his siblings near an unfinished ground hole filled with rainwater. When his older brother realized he was missing, she began searching and found his body floating in the water hole about 30 minutes later.
Emergency services arrived at the scene shortly after, but the boy was sadly pronounced dead. His body was later transported to Vaiola Hospital.
The police are investigating the circumstances of the incident and have issued a reminder to parents and guardians to stay vigilant, especially during bad weather. They urge families to keep children away from flooded areas and remain indoors during heavy rain to prevent similar tragedies.
Source: Tonga Police