Missing child dies after being found in posthole in Indiana

BERNE, Ind. (AP) - A toddler who went missing in rural northeastern Indiana was pronounced dead after a relative found him in a posthole, police said.

The relative discovered the missing boy around noon Wednesday head down in a hole 39 inches (1 meter) deep that contained about 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) of water, the Adams County Sheriff's Office said.

Police called to the scene near Berne to investigate a possible drowning worked with emergency crews to perform lifesaving measures, but the child was pronounced dead after being flown to a hospital.

Police said in a statement that the hole where the child was found was man-made and intended to have a post set in it for construction purposes.

Based on interviews at the scene, police determined that the child had been missing for some time before he was found by a family member.

The boy's name and age have not been released by authorities.

Berne is located about 35 miles (56.3 kilometers) south of Fort Wayne.