Pennsylvania coroner: 6-year-old drowns after falling into manure pit
By Cameron Lobley, Nicole Beltran, Emma Hogan
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SALISBURY TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania (WGAL) — A 6-year-old boy drowned on Sunday after he fell into a manure pit on a Lancaster County farm, according to the coroner’s office.
The Lancaster County Coroner’s Office has identified the boy as Leon Blank.
Dispatchers said crews responded to the farm near the intersection of Meadville and Churchtown roads in Salisbury Township at 4:04 p.m.
Fall was ‘unwitnessed,’ coroner says
Lancaster County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni told WGAL that no one saw the child fall. A fence surrounded the manure pit, but Diamantoni said the child may have climbed onto it before falling in.
“The death of a child that way is an absolute tragedy,” Diamantoni said.
The coroner ruled the child’s death an accident.
Manure pit dangers
Manure pits are structures used to store and decompose animal waste, according to Penn State Extension. The pits can pose risks including gas exposure, falls, drowning and trauma from equipment.
Diamantoni said the pits are especially dangerous for children, who may be overcome by gas or drown after falling in.
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