12-year-old drowns in wastewater pond

Published 11:39 am Monday, March 19, 2012

By Lance Martin

rrspin.com

SEABOARD – The body of a 12-year-old boy was recovered from a wastewater pond in Seaboard just before 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

Seaboard Police Chief George Reid said the family is holding up as well as could be expected given the news.

Reid said the child slipped into the pond shortly before 6 p.m. Friday as he and several other children wandered into the treatment facility, which is near the housing projects.

The children had walked upon the berm and the child who fell in slipped on the plastic liner that serves as a sealant.

Reid added that two of the children tried to rescue the 12-year-old, whose name is being withheld.

According to Reid, the gate to the plant was supposed to have been locked, but the area is clearly marked with signs warning against trespassing. What liability issues this may hold for the town is something that will have to be discussed between the town board and its attorney, Reid said.

Northampton Emergency Management, the Gaston Search and Rescue Dive Team, Conway-Severn Rescue, the Woodland Police Department and Northampton County Sheriff’s Office were at the scene.

(Lance Martin is Publisher and Editor of www.rrspin.com.)