Thursday, 4:30 PM
Child drowns in Quincy, sibling removed from home
By Megan Woolhouse, Globe Staff
The Norfolk district attorney’s office and the state Department of Social Services are investigating the death in Quincy of a 9-month-old girl, who apparently drowned Saturday morning in a bucket of cleaning solution.
Quincy police Chief Robert Crowley said Saturday night that investigators told him the baby fell in the bucket. Firefighters who arrived on the scene just before 10 a.m. tried to resuscitate the child, but the baby was pronounced dead at 11:07 a.m. at Quincy Medical Center, he said.
David Traub, a spokesman for Norfolk District Attorney William R. Keating’s office, said an autopsy could be completed Sunday.
"It’s under investigation," Traub said by phone. "A key portion of this is the anticipated medical examination."
Officials did not identify the child or her mother or indicate if charges might be forthcoming.
Crowley, reached by phone, said he visited the Sumner Street apartment where the drowning occurred.
The girl’s mother went to the hospital while the father remained at the apartment Saturday morning, Crowley said.
Alison Goodwin, a spokeswoman for DSS, said the mother was caring for the baby and her 2-year-old son at the time of the drowning. Goodwin declined to elaborate.
State officials removed the boy from the home and placed him with relatives, Goodwin said.
Quincy Fire Department officials, who also reported to the scene, said they would make a report of the case public on Monday.
Globe correspondent Adam Sell contributed to this report. Megan Woolhouse can be reached at mwoolhouse@globe.com.
