9-Year-Old Girl Drowned in Bath While Her Mom Went to Look for Favorite Toy, Officials Say

According to a U.K. inquest, a 9-year-old child drowned in a bath after her mother abandoned her to look for a cherished toy.

According to an inquest report obtained by PEOPLE, Mia-Ann Myerscough suffered a seizure on the evening of September 12, 2021, and was found “immersed in water” at her family home in Bridgend, South Wales. According to the inquest, which was held on Tuesday, November 5, she passed away the next day.

According to Wales Online, Mail Online, and The Mirror, Mia-Ann’s mother Julia had taken her for a bath earlier, according to the Pontypridd Coroners’ Court.

According to the reports, her mother once rushed downstairs to find her “favorite Danny Dog squishy toy” since she was becoming anxious and wanted to help her rest in the bathtub.

According to Wales Online, Julia told Assistant Coroner Andrew Morse, “I made sure the tap was turned off and I went down to get Danny Dog. She was sitting towards the top of the bath in the corner next to her little squishies — her little friends.”

According to the publication, her partner Vernon Ward told the inquest that he heard a “bump” or “bang” from below while she was gone for “no more than five minutes.”

 

After calling Mia-Ann and getting no answer, Ward rushed into the bathroom and saw the 9-year-old “partially immersed in the water.” Then, when he began CPR on the young child, he summoned Julia back in.

After being taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, Wales, Mia-Ann had several attempts at resuscitation. The date of her death was September 13, 2021.

PCDH19-related epilepsy, a rare syndrome “characterized by brief clusters of febrile and afebrile seizures with onset primarily before the age of three years, cognitive impairment, autistic traits, and behavioral abnormalities,” was identified during Mia-Ann’s inquest.

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According to Wales Online, she had not experienced a seizure for two years before to her passing.

According to testimony given at the inquest, Mia-Ann’s mother had years of experience managing close relatives who experienced seizures. However, the outlet said that she didn’t think her daughter was in danger of having one in the final minutes before she passed away.

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According to several sources, Mia-Ann’s epilepsy has been “really well controlled” since 2019 thanks to the testimony of Dr. Alok Gaurav, a consultant in children’s services at Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board.

Regarding Mia-Ann’s medical cause of death, Dr. Stephen Leadbeatter, senior lecturer in forensic pathology at Cardiff University, stated: “Although we don’t have any proof she was submerged in water, she was in the water, and her mouth and nose were in the water.” That still feels like immersion to me. It is impossible to deny the role that water performed. I can state that a youngster with PCDH19-related epilepsy died as a result of immersion.

According to the document PEOPLE was able to get, after the inquiry, Mia-Ann’s death was determined to be an accident. According to the medical record, she died from “Immersion in a child with PCDH19-related epilepsy.”