Girl, 1, Dies After Grandparents' Dresser Falls and Traps Her Underneath

A South Carolina toddler has died after a dresser at her grandparents' house fell on her, according to a coroner's report.

Jalaya Bryant, 22 months old, of Calhoun Falls, was staying at the property in Williamston, northwest of Columbia, when she climbed a dresser that fell and trapped her underneath. The Anderson County Sheriff's Office (ACSO) was then alerted to reports of a child in cardiac arrest, and deputies arrived at the home on the morning of Sunday, July 30.

Don McCown, Anderson County chief deputy coroner, said in a statement shared on Sunday: "EMS personnel arrived on scene, provided emergency medical care, and transported the child to Prisma Health Trauma Services. The child was pronounced deceased at the hospital at 12:22 p.m.

"The Anderson County Child Death Investigation Task Force was alerted and responded to the hospital and the residence to initiate the investigation," the statement added.

"Chief McCown advised that the child was staying at her grandparents' house and apparently was trying to climb a dresser when it tumbled over and trapped her.

"The investigation indicates the child died due to asphyxiation and there appears to be no indication of foul play," it read.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that 3,816 children aged between 1 and 4 died across the country in 2021 out of a total U.S. population of 15.2 million in that age group. The leading cause of death among those children in 2021 was accidents and unintentional injuries that resulted in 1,299 fatalities. There were 412 deaths attributed to congenital malformations, and 309 were listed as being due to homicides.

The coroner's office added: "The investigation is ongoing by the Anderson County Child Death Investigation Task for which is comprised of representatives of the Anderson County Office of the Coroner, Anderson County Sheriff's Office, South Carolina Department of Social Services and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Special Victims Unit."

Law enforcement officers have not said whether any arrests have been made in connection with Bryant's death as of Tuesday, August 1.

Saint Luke's Health System Kansas City says there are several steps people can take to ensure that their home is safe for young children. These include:

• Making sure no electrical cords run under rugs.
• Keeping rooms free of small toys, plastic bags, balloons, batteries, detergent pods and other items that could pose a choking hazard.
• Keeping all matches and lighters out of children's reach.
• Use window stops so they don't open more than 4 inches.
• Emptying buckets when not in use as even 1 inch of water can pose a drowning risk for small children.

Newsweek has contacted the ACSO for comment via email.