'A very tragic accident': Missing 1-year-old Florida toddler found dead in septic tank

CRESCENT CITY, Fla. — A Florida toddler who went missing Sunday while playing in his backyard was found lifeless Monday afternoon in a septic tank's overgrown drain field, authorities said. 

The body of Jose Lara, who would have turned 2 in May, was found shortly after 1 p.m. Monday near Crescent City, around 55 miles south of Jacksonville, said Putnam County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Allison Waters Merritt.

Putnam County Sheriff's Office Col. Joseph Wells, chief deputy, said in a press conference late Sunday afternoon that Jose was last seen around 1:15 p.m. while playing with his sister and mother in the backyard of their home along U.S. Highway 17. 

The boy's sister got dirty and the mother went into the home to clean her and when she returned, she could not find her son, Wells said.

The mother called the Putnam County Sheriff's Office after 30 minutes of searching and not finding him, Wells said.

Multiple agencies including Marion, Volusia and St. Johns counties and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Service, launched an all out search to find the boy Sunday afternoon. 

The search included drones, a Volusia County Sheriff's helicopter, and multiple K-9 units and bloodhounds, to track the area behind the home. A toy the boy was known to play with was found by the dogs tracking the property, but they were unable to locate the toddler, Wells said.

Authorities searched the area behind the home that had some swampy parts and a pond, Waters Merritt said.

The search continued till 11:45 p.m. Sunday and resumed at 7 a.m. on Monday, Waters Merritt said.

"The dogs continued to hit around the house indicating that the child had never left, so you know we continued to search," Waters Merritt said on Monday afternoon.

Waters Merritt said that during the search Monday, investigators decided to drain a septic tank on the property and when a contractor got on scene and began working on the septic tank, an overgrown area was discovered nearby. That spot had a piece of plywood over it that looked like it had been stepped on and broken, Waters Merritt said.

"That was unfortunately where they did find Jose," she said.

Putnam County Sheriff H. D. DeLoach, said the septic tank's drain field where Jose's body was found submerged, was about 35 yards from the home.

The investigation into the incident is still ongoing but authorities have found nothing to indicate foul play, DeLoach said.

"It just appears that it is a very tragic accident," Waters Merritt said. "The family is understandably upset and our hearts go out to them."

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