Three young children in the United States have died after climbing inside an unplugged chest freezer and becoming trapped, police said.
The Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office said the children, aged one, four and six, were found not breathing at the residence in Suwannee County, Florida.
Emergency services scrambled to the scene and rushed the children to hospital, where they died.
Authorities said "for unknown reasons they climbed inside" the freezer while playing outside, when a woman had gone inside the home to use the bathroom.
During interviews with adults at the home, police found that the freezer that had recently been brought to the residence, but was not yet plugged in.
It is believed that when the children entered the freezer, the lid closed trapping the children inside.
When the woman returned, she could not find the children so she woke up another woman who was at home, sleeping ahead of a night shift at work.
Searching the property, they opened the freezer and found all three children inside, not breathing.
The adults immediately administered CPR and called 911.
Authorities inspected the freezer and found a clasp had been installed on the lid, but there was no padlock attached to the freezer.
It is believed that when the children climbed into the freezer the lid closed and the clasp fell shut, trapping the children inside.
The investigation is ongoing but police said no "foul play" is suspected.
The case will be forwarded to the Third Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office for review and the Florida Department of Children and Families has also been notified.
