Toddler dies in hospital five days after fall into sewage pit

The 18-month-old’s death comes just months after authorities issued warnings about unsecured septic tank lids.

A toddler has died after falling into a sewage pit in a remote Aboriginal community.

Northern Territory Police were called to a property at Mt Liebig, about 325km west of Alice Springs, on Wednesday afternoon.

The boy was taken to a local clinic, where they were resuscitated and stabilised, before being taken to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide, SA, in a critical but stable condition.

NT Police have since confirmed the child died on Monday, with an investigation launched.

They will also be providing a report for the coroner.

It comes months after NT WorkSafe warned commercial businesses to secure the lids on their septic tank systems following two incidents in which children fell into them.

The septic tank lid in Katherine, into which an 18mo child fell in December 2021 (L) and the unsecured tank lid in Barkly into which a 4yo child fell in August 2022 (R).

In Katherine, in December 2021, an 18-month-old child fell head first through an unsecured lid into a septic tank, and had to be rescued by an older sibling.

And in August 2022 in Barkly, a four-year-old fell into a full septic tank with an unsecured lid, and was rescued by a parent.

“Unsecured or fragile septic tank lids are a major hazard if access to the lid is not limited or controlled,” said NT WorkSafe in their warning, issued shortly after the Barkly incident.

“There is a risk of a fatal incident occurring if someone falls into a septic tank, this risk is significantly higher if the person is a young child.

“Unfortunately incidents of young children dying after falling into septic tanks have been reported in Australia and around the world.”