Daily SumUp

A two-year-old boy who loved feeding the ducks has died after he fell into a canal. 

Emergency services were called to Hendon Avenue in Ettingshall, Wolverhampton, just after 6pm yesterday evening following reports of the little boy in the water.

Neighbours reported hearing 'loud screams' as the tragedy unfolded, while one claimed the child's family were in the process of moving house when he may have escaped through an open garage. 

Police officers managed to pull the boy out of the canal in a critical condition before paramedics began giving advanced life support.

However, despite the efforts of medical staff, the toddler was tragically pronounced dead at the scene.

One local, who claimed the boy's family were moving house, said: 'I've got two young ones myself and this canal is 100 metres from my house. It's very popular with dog walkers and people feeding the ducks.

'We've been down there plenty of times when we've had a bit of bread a few days out of date we think lets just feed the ducks. And they do, the kids love feeding the ducks.

'The first I saw was the police and then I went on the Whatsapp group. At that point it was, there's a two-year-old missing.' 

The local added: 'The family do come and feed the birds, the ducks. The family are in the process of moving I think so the garage was open anyway for them to pack the car and whatnot.

'So he must have got out. He left the house, he went missing, under some circumstances.

'Whether he escaped through the garage because it was open, I'm not too sure. I heard a person screaming.

'They were resuscitating him there for about 20 minutes and then they took him in an ambulance.

'Police were here until fairly late, we had a children's birthday party and were cleaning up until late and they were still here.

'Then I saw it confirmed in the news, it's absolutely devastating'.