Boy Drowns After Being Swept Into A Drainage Pipe Behind A Wal-Mart Store

Earlier this week, a 5 year old boy in Tennessee was killed because Wal-Mart didn’t think it was necessary to build a fence around a dangerous drainage ditch or at the very least, put a grate on the drainage pipe.

Local residents were surprised that nothing was done to ensure the safety of shoppers and local residents.

I’ve never seen a culvert in my life that didn’t have a grate or something in front of it to keep debris - and especially little children - from going into it, said neighbor Gerald Scalf.

At least put some barrier where these kids can’t get in it. This water was high yesterday, says neighbor Rebecca Parks.

The boy, who lived in a near by trailer park, traveled over 250 yards underground before being tossed out of a drainage pipe that poured out into a wooded area nearby.

A simple metal grate or fence could have saved his life.

Wal-Mart literally built a store in this little boy’s back yard, the least they could do was make sure he was safe. Instead, in typical Wal-Mart fashion, they cut corners to save a buck.

Time after time, we have heard about the negative impacts that Wal-Mart inflicts upon the communities they inhabit, but this story really takes the cake.

I guess for Wal-Mart the death of one little boy is just the cost of doing business.

Tennessee 5-year-old dead after being sucked into drainage pipe [WCBD, Charleston, SC]

A 5-year-old Tennessee boy died after being swept into a large drainage pipe when heavy rain fell in Millington, Tennessee Sunday evening.

The boy was playing near the 30-inch pipe when rushing rainwater water swept him into it and carried him underground.

His father found the child when the current eventually carried him out of the pipe.

The child was unresponsive when emergency workers arrived at the scene near Walmart on Highway 51.

They administered CPR and rushed the boy to Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center, where he later died.

Witnesses said the he lived in the Westside Community trailer park - just steps from the large culvert, which belongs to Walmart.

Neighbors say the large pipe should have been covered by a grate.

“I’ve never seen a culvert in my life that didn’t have a grate or something in front of it to keep debris - and especially little children - from going into it,“ said neighbor Gerald Scalf.

Walmart had no comment Sunday.

Posted by Research Team on Thursday, July 09, 2009

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