April 18, 2003
Dougherty County- Friends, neighbors and relatives gather around as they talk about the tragedy that occurred just feet from where they stand. Police say two year old Troy Thomas Welch, Jr. wandered away from his mobile home without his parents knowing.
Just minutes later the little boy drowned in a murky pond just feet from his front door. Dougherty County police arrived at the scene shortly after 5:30 PM where two people had already started CPR.
"EMS was already in route and arrived there shortly after to perform life saving measures. The child was transported to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital where he was later pronounced deceased," says Lt. Craig Reno.
Jeanette Bailey is the second cousin of Jennifer Cox, Welch's mother. She says people shouldn't blame Cox because she is a good mother. "She watches very well. I don't care what anybody says. She's a good mother. She done what she could. They could be gone a split second, it don't take much," says Jeanette Bailey.
Bailey even says the accident could have been prevented. She says the land owner had promised to either drain or put a fence around the pond. "There's a lot of people out here that's got smaller kids. It every day it worries me about it. All these small kids coming out here, and I'm scared and today it happened," adds Bailey.
With Easter just two days away, residents at the Willow Nook Mobile Home Park will try to move on as they remember the little boy they called man-man.
Cox has two other school age children. Police say they will continue to investigate the case. Lt. Craig Reno says the Department of Family and Children Service will also investigate the drowning.
Posted at 10:10 PM by elaine.armstrong@walb.com
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