Neshoba County child drowns in family pond

Published 4:30 pm Monday, January 23, 2017

A 5-year-old child drowned in a family pond in northern Neshoba County Saturday morning after wandering from his home.

Law enforcement received a call around 9:45 a.m. Saturday in the Arlington community, north of Philadelphia, on County Route 602, according to Neshoba County Sheriff Tommy Waddell.

“A family member came in from a hunting trip and when he came in he saw something floating in the pond,” Waddell said. “He went out and that’s when he discovered the child.”

The child had been playing in the living room with his younger sister when his mother briefly went into another room, Waddell said. 

“All the doors were locked,” Waddell said, and a recliner blocked the front door. “We believe the child exited through that rarely used front door.”

The property, with the homes of several extended family members, had a pond in the front yard. 

No charges have been filed.

“The case remains under investigation,” Waddell said. “But, at this time, we believe it was just a tragic accident.”