Toddler dies after falling into grease trap at Tim Hortons

Mahira Dayal

Tim Hortons is offering its condolences after a toddler died in a “horrifying” accident at one of its branches.

The 3-year-old was at a Tim Hortons restaurant in Rochester, N.Y. on Monday morning when he fell through a plastic lid that gave way into a grease trap, where he wound up getting stuck.

While the Rochester Police Department did not immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s request for comment, Francis Camp, who is an investigator with the department, told CNN that a witness spotted the child in in the grease trap “minutes” after he was reported missing. The witness reportedly pulled him out and started administering CPR, to no avail.

Camp speculated to CNN that the child ran across the plastic lid — which was designed to blend into surrounding grass — and it “popped open and he fell into the trap.”

Further attempts to revive the child were not successful and Camp described the incident to CNN as one of “the worst” he has come across.

"We have a horrifying episode here that happened today," he told the channel. "We're asked all the time, 'What's the worst thing you encounter as a police officer?' And this is number one."

Tim Hortons released the following statement to Yahoo Lifestyle: “What occurred was a tragedy and on behalf of the Tim Hortons family, we offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the young boy who passed away. Tim Hortons is fully cooperating with authorities.”

Representatives refused to comment further, saying that “there is an ongoing police investigation.”

The identity of the 3-year-old and his family have not been publicly released.

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