Two-year-old drowns in hole

Photo / Michael Craig

A two-year-old child drowned in a hole containing water on a rural property near Gore yesterday afternoon.

Sergeant Greg Ballantyne, of Gore, said emergency services were called at 3.50pm after reports a young child had fallen into a hole containing water.

The child was transported to Gore Hospital by ambulance and then by helicopter to Dunedin Hospital. Attempts to revive the child were unsuccessful, he said.

The incident was being investigated and the death had been referred to the coroner.

Police will not release the child's name until family had been notified.