Heartbreak after young boy drowns in fish tank

The 11-month-old boy managed to slip into the backyard before his parents realised, where he was found facedown in the in-ground fish tank.

A young boy has tragically drowned after falling into an in-ground fish tank in his parents’ backyard.

11-month-old Jugad Singh Bath was playing in the week before Christmas when his parents momentarily lost sight of him at their Pakenham home in Melbourne.

He was soon found in the in-ground fish tank and rushed to hospital, but he tragically died several days later after suffering brain damage.

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A colleague of Jugad’s father Jagwant, Waris Hamdard, told the Cranbourne Leader Jagwant had returned home from work and realised Jugad had slipped outside.

A video camera later revealed little Jugad had fallen head first in the water, and was unable to get out despite there being a low level of water in the tank.

“It is absolutely tragic,” Mr Hamdard said.

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Young Pakenham boy Jugad Singh Bath, 11 months, tragically drowned after falling into a fish tank when momentarily out of sight from his family. Picture: GoFundMe

Parents "devastated" after loss

The Cranbourne Leader reports Jugad spent seven days in hospital before he passed away.

Mr Hamdard said Jugad’s death was an important warning to other parents about how quickly a drowning could occur.

He also said Mr Singh and his wife were “devastated” over the loss of their only child.

Tragically, Mr Singh and his wife were both on student visas, and had only moved to Australia from India two years ago.

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Friends raise $13k to cover funeral costs

To help the family cover medical costs, Mr Hamdard started a GoFundMe which had raised more than $13,000 as of Friday morning.

“Jagwant’s family are facing substantial medical costs,” he wrote.

“The ambulance service cost about $1300, the air ambulance added another $13,000, and the hospital bills amounted to $50,000.

“Although insurance covered a part of these expenses, Jagwant is left with the heartbreaking task of arranging his son’s, funeral and other related costs, totaling about $6,500.”

Originally published as Heartbreak after young boy drowns in fish tank