A 13-month-old boy who was found in a canal near his home on Saturday died Tuesday evening, after he was taken off a ventilator, a Palm Beach County Sheriff Office spokeswoman said.
Matthew Alan Purvis’ condition had not improved since he was placed on a ventilator Saturday night at Palms West Hospital, after he was found floating in a canal, said spokeswoman Teri Barbera.
Matthew’s parents, who recently had moved with their son to Loxahatchee from Broward County, noticed the toddler was missing at about 5:45 p.m. The parents and some neighbors went out looking for the boy and also called Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue.
They found him nearly 10 minutes into the search in the canal face down.
“Unfortunately he was found floating in the canal nearby,” Barbera said on Saturday, adding that good samaritans and rescue works administered CPR to the boy, but were unable to get a pulse before taking the child to the hospital.
Matthew was revived by emergency room personnel, but was immediately placed on a ventilator and remained in the Pediatric Intensive Care unit until his death.