41 °F Ocean City, US
January 8, 2026

Girl, 3, drowns in septic tank at Cape May County campground

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland and Chief William Priole of the Lower Township Police Department announce the ongoing death investigation of a 3-year-old girl in the Erma section of Lower Township.

The Lower Township Police Department received a 911 call for medical assistance at 9:27 p.m. Saturday, April 3, and responded to Sun Outdoors Campground in the 600 block of Route 9 in Erma. 

Upon arrival, officers found the unresponsive girl, who had been pulled out of a sewage septic tank after accidently falling in. She was immediately transported to the Cape Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead later that evening. 

Detectives from the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office and the Lower Township Police Department responded to the scene and immediately initiated an investigation.

On the morning of April 4, the Southern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy on reported the cause and manner of death are pending the final autopsy report.

The preliminary investigation had not revealed any signs of foul play at the time of this news release. Sutherland said the incident is still under investigation but appears to be an accident at this time.

Related articles

The Surfer’s Code

Champion surfer tells MRHS students to write own code, starting with ‘I will …’ LINWOOD — When you can hear a pin drop in an auditorium filled with 250 high school juniors and seniors, something powerful has captivated them. At Mainland Regional High School, surfing legend Shaun Tompson held the students’ attention. Originally from South […]

Groups seek action over rash of dead whales

Organizations call for a stop on all offshore wind project activities ‘The premature death of so many whales and other marine mammals is an untenable situation that we believe is most likely caused by the increase in vessel traffic and the ‘sounding’ or mapping of the ocean floor by several offshore wind project developers.’–Suzanne Hornick, […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *