Gaithersburg Toddler's Cause Of Death Was Drowning: Police

MONTGOMERY VILLAGE, MD — An autopsy has confirmed that Friday's death of a toddler at Lake Whetstone was caused by drowning, Montgomery County Police say. The 22-month-old boy who died is Malik Bojang of the 18700 block of Pier Point Place in Gaithersburg.

On Monday investigators said the results of an autopsy conducted in Baltimore by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined Bojang’s cause of death was accidental drowning.

About 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 2, authorities received a 9-1-1 call from Bojang’s adult family member who reported the child missing from Lake Whetstone Park, 18701 Montgomery Village Ave. As police officers and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue personnel were en route to the park, dispatchers received a second call from a resident who had found Bojang face down and unresponsive in the water. The boy was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A police investigation determined that Bojang was with an adult family member at a tot lot playground at the park, along with other families and children. At 7:31 p.m., the family member noticed that Bojang was no longer in the playground area and called to report him as missing.

Montgomery County Police share these water safety tips:

• Never leave children unattended around any body of water (bathtubs, pools, ornamental backyard ponds, etc.).
• Learn to swim. But remember – even good swimmers can drown.
• Learn CPR.
• Pay attention to local weather conditions and forecasts.
• Watch out for the “dangerous too’s” (…too tired, too cold, too far from safety, too much sun, too much strenuous activity.)
• Always have a phone.
• Know where your children are at all times.
• Don’t rely on substitutes. The use of floatation devices and inflatable toys cannot replace parental supervision. Such devices could suddenly shift position, lose air, or slip out from underneath, leaving the child in a dangerous situation.