5-year-old escapes death after falling into manhole at school

A family in Manchester Parish is counting their blessings after a frightening incident at New Forest Primary and Infant School that left their five-year-old daughter narrowly escaping serious harm.

The child’s mother, Stacey-Ann Sinclair, said she is still shaken by what happened. “I could have lost my child. Honestly, I could have,” she shared.

According to Sinclair, the incident took place on Monday after school while her daughter, Jayana Clarke, was waiting for transportation home. The young girl reportedly wandered to the back of the school, where a manhole is located.

Sinclair said her daughter told her she stepped on the cover twice before it suddenly shifted. “She said she stepped on it two times and then it just tilt,” the mother recalled.

The explanation has left Sinclair puzzled, as she cannot understand how a small child could have moved what is typically a heavy manhole cover. She suspects it may not have been properly secured.

“To me it look like it never cover properly because it have a weight. Jayana alone couldn’t manage to move it. So I don’t know if someone else shifted it before, and then when she stepped on it, it tilt. But somehow she fall in it,” she said.

Jayana reportedly fell into the manhole, briefly sinking before managing to resurface and hold onto the edge. A nearby teacher quickly noticed the situation and rushed to help, pulling the child to safety. She was later cleaned up at the school and given fresh clothing.

Despite the quick response, Sinclair expressed concern that no immediate medical attention was arranged. “There are so many vehicles at the school; one of the teachers could have taken her to the doctor,” she said.

The mother later took her daughter to a doctor that same evening, where she was examined and given a clean bill of health. However, Jayana began experiencing diarrhea and vomiting the following night and has since shown signs of distress, frequently talking about the ordeal and losing her appetite.

Sinclair noted that the school has maintained communication with her since the incident. She also expressed deep gratitude to the teacher who intervened.

“I thank God, and I give that teacher so much thanks… because if she wasn’t there, my child would be dead,” she said.

Principal Sharon Anderson described the situation as unusual, noting that the manhole has been in place for over a decade without any previous incidents.

“Up to now we can’t find out how that child got into that manhole,” Anderson said. “An infant child cannot lift that lid off it.”

She added that even adults have since tested the cover and found it difficult to move. The manhole reportedly channels water from the children’s wash area into a pit.

In response to the incident, the school has taken steps to prevent it from happening again. Contractors have been contacted to permanently secure the manhole.

“We are going to seal it completely with cement so the lid cannot be removed,” Anderson confirmed.