Police probe after newborn baby found in Walsall canal
A newborn baby has died after being found in a canal in the West Midlands.
Police said the baby boy was discovered in a waterway in Rough Wood Country Park, off Hunts Lane in Walsall, on Thursday afternoon and has been declared dead.
A passer-by spotted the infant at around 1pm.
We’re investigating after a baby boy was discovered in a canal in Walsall this afternoon (20 May).
A passer-by spotted the baby in Rough Wood Country Park, off Hunts Lane in Willenhall at around 1pm.
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— West Midlands Police (@WMPolice) May 20, 2021
Police have appealed for witnesses as they investigate what happened and the whereabouts of the mother.
Detective Inspector Wes Martin said: “This is a tragic investigation and our priority is to now find the baby boy’s mum to make sure she is OK.
“She may be in need of urgent medical attention and she is our absolute priority at the moment.
“We have been speaking to members of the public and would urge anyone with information to get in touch.”
Anyone with information should call 101, quoting log number 1963 of May 20.
An eyewitness told The Sun that emergency services arrived shortly after 1pm.
They said: "The nature reserve is cordoned off at pretty much every entrance. People walking up the towpath have been stopped and told to go back.
"Search teams arrived with wetsuits and there was a police officer carrying a drone.
"It's just so tragic."