Vermont State Police name toddler who drowned at White River in investigation update
Maleeha Syed
CHELSEA —Vermont State Police released the name of a toddler who drowned at the White River Friday in an investigation update.
The police responded Friday to a report of a missing child, who might have fallen into the river. Paislee Champney, 2, as found around Vermont 110 and was taken to Gifford Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.
The police are considering the incident an accidental drowning, according a Monday afternoon news release, but it is still an ongoing investigation because autopsy results are not complete.
Police reported that it appears Champney got away from supervision, "getting too close to the river and was caught in strong currents."
Other departments responded to the initial search Friday. These included First Branch Ambulance, Vermont Game Wardens, Orange County Sheriffs and multiple fire departments.
Vermont deaths, drowning by the numbers
Vermont's leading cause of death in 2017 was heart disease (1,434 deaths) followed by cancer (1,332 deaths).
But accidents took the third spot — at 394, significantly less than the top two categories.
The state's department of health indicated an average of seven deaths related to accidental drowning occur annually based on data from 2004 to 2013.
From 2009 to 2013 less than 19 percent of people under 18 years old died due to accidental drowning. The number for this age group increased to 40 percent for the level of emergency department visits related to accidental drowning.
Safety tips to protect your child from drowning
The National Safety Council offers safety tips to prevent drowning tailored to different age groups on its website.
For children, these include:
- Don't leave your children alone and take them with you if you are going elsewhere.
- Don't rely solely on lifeguards to watch out for your children.
- Keep a first aid kit available.
- Get CPR training.
- Take your child to swimming lessons — "but keep in mind that lessons do not make your child 'drown-proof'."
Contact Maleeha Syed at mzsyed@freepressmedia.com or 802-495-6595. Follow her on Twitter @MaleehaSyed89.