A 4-year-old Georgia girl died after she was found unresponsive inside a large trash can filled with water and fish at a home in Macon, according to authorities and an incident report.
Jayde Wooten was found at a home in the 1200 block of Rocky Creek Road on Saturday, Sept. 19. Deputies were called to the residence shortly before 2 p.m. after a report of a medical emergency. Jayde was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The circumstances surrounding the discovery emerged from an incident report. Jayde’s father told investigators that he had returned home and realized he could not find his daughter in her bedroom. He searched throughout the house and also went outside to ask nearby residents whether they had seen her.
The report says Jayde’s mother had been asleep. She told her husband that Jayde had been in the kitchen eating before she fell asleep.
The search took a tragic turn when the father heard the child’s mother scream. He went into a bathroom and found Jayde upside down inside a large trash can containing water and fish. He pulled the girl from the container and carried her outside to get help.
Investigators later noted water around the bathroom and a trail leading toward the front door. Family members and neighbors attempted to perform CPR before emergency crews arrived. One neighbor told investigators that Jayde briefly opened her eyes during the rescue efforts, while another person at the scene reported that they could not find a pulse.
Deputies provided aid until firefighters and paramedics arrived. Jayde was then transported to a hospital, where medical staff pronounced her dead.
The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office has continued investigating the circumstances of Jayde’s death. Authorities have not publicly released an official cause of death. More recent reporting also indicates that the autopsy results remain pending, leaving key questions about what happened before Jayde was found still unresolved.
A fundraiser has also been established by the family to help with funeral expenses and other costs following Jayde’s death. The family described the loss as a devastating accident.
For now, investigators are working to establish the full timeline leading up to the discovery and determine the circumstances that resulted in the child’s death. No official cause of death has been announced while the investigation and medical examination continue.
