An 18-month-old boy has drowned in the Hutt River near Te Marua late this afternoon.
Inspector Greg Phillips, acting Upper Hutt Area Police Commander, says the drowning is not considered to be suspicious and the toddler's death is an "absolute tragedy" for his family, and for emergency services staff who were called to the scene.
"The boy and his four-year-old brother were playing in the backyard of a property bordering the river and it appears he's slipped and fallen in."
Police were alerted about 4.07pm, a few minutes after an adult at the property noticed the toddler was missing.
"Emergency services staff scrambled to the scene, and within 30 minutes we found his body facedown in the water 600m downstream from the property," Inspector Phillips says. "A police officer repeatedly tried to revive the toddler but it was clear he was already deceased."
The child's name is not yet available.
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