Toddler drowns at home while single mom is at hospital with newborn

DELTA, Utah (KTVX) — A 2-year-old Utah boy has died after drowning outside his home while his mother was at a hospital with her newborn.

Authorities responded to a call Monday night about a toddler who had been pulled from an irrigation ditch.

Authorities said a family member was babysitting the boy while the mother, identified on a GoFundMe page as Alleana Riding, was in northern Utah hospital at the NICU with her newborn baby.

The child, identified as Hayden Jay Riding, had disappeared, and after searching for 20 minutes, the family member found him in the irrigation ditch just outside the family’s home. The family said they have a fence that surrounds the home, but the child was known to escape the yard.

CPR was performed and the toddler was transferred to the hospital, where he died.

According to GoFundMe, Riding is a single mother with three children all under the age of 2.

Family and friends are trying to raise funds for a funeral. In addition to the GoFundMe account, a Venmo account — @Alleana-Riding — is also accepting donations.