Three young children died in Florida this weekend after they became trapped in a chest freezer that was unplugged near their home.
The New York Post reports that the three children, ages 1, 4, and 6, were playing in the front yard of their residence in north Florida, where the chest freezer had recently been brought to the home, and at some point climbed inside of it. A woman who was watching the children appears to have gone inside the home to use the bathroom when the children went into the freezer, and when she came back outside, she could not find them.
“When the female returned to the yard, she could not locate the children so she woke up the other adult female who was at home, sleeping, preparing to work the night shift, and they began to search the property and an adjacent vacant home for the children,” the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement obtained by the New York Post.
“When they opened the chest freezer, they discovered all three children inside of it, not breathing, and began resuscitative efforts and called 911.”
According to the statement, police arrived at the scene to find family members administrating CPR, but the lifesaving efforts were not successful, and all three children were pronounced dead.
Authorities reportedly believe that the door of the freezer closed and became fastened shut after the children entered went inside. Police do not suspect any foul play.
The identities of the children and there caretakers have not been released. It is not known if any charges are expected to be filed.