PIERCETON - A 3-year-old is dead after drowning in a creek near Sidney Friday afternoon.
Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department officers and dive team members were dispatched to a home at 8700 S. CR 700E early Friday afternoon after receiving a report of a 3-year-old in a creek.According to a release from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, which is investigating the death, Alexis R. Aviala, 3, of 8744 S. CR 700E, Pierceton, was reported missing by her mother around 12:45 p.m.
KCSD Officers, DNR officers, along with Sidney FIre Department and Life Med Ambulance, were at the scene.
Attempts to revive Alexis Aviala were unsuccessful and she was pronounced dead at Kosciusko Community Hospital.
KCSD Corp. Chris Rager and Indiana Conservation Officer Ashlee Jackson went into the water to recover Alexis Aviala's body.
Alexis Aviala and her 4-year-old sister Danielle were outside playing when Alexis ended up in the creek that feeds into the Eel River.
Their mother, Paulette Aviala, 28, told investigators that Alexis and Danielle left the home at 9:30 a.m. to play outside.
The mother told investigators that Danielle had fallen into a puddle. The mother changed Danielle out of her wet clothing and began searching for Alexis. She conducted a small search then called KCSD.
The Aviala residence is about a quarter of a mile away from Bill Patrick's home.
"Earlier I heard, I assume it was the mother, heard her calling for the little one," said Patrick. "It wasn't long after that I heard the sirens coming."
Rain and changing weather conditions caused the creek to flood.
"The water is really cold and high," said Patrick. "It runs in between the two properties. The water was over the top of the creek this morning."
Patrick said that most of the property where the toddler drowned is fenced off from the creek, with the exception of a small area behind a barn.
DNR officials stated they believe the two girls had to cross a fence with a strand of barb wire running along the top to get close to the creek.
Alexis' body was recovered 20 yards downstream from where the investigators believe she went in.
The death remains under investigation with an autopsy scheduled for today.
