A three-year-old boy has died after wandering off from a nursery trip and falling into a nearby river
According to local media, three carers supervising the group of 19 youngsters had initially failed to notice the tot had disappeared during the trip to Schwabisch Gmuend.
When staff realised he had gone missing they found him lying face-down in the River Rems just a few metres away in the south-western German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.
Reports said the boy was still alive when he was rushed to hospital by ambulance, but died shortly after arriving.
The local police said the victim’s carers and classmates have been too distressed to talk about the incident yet.
Family members and nursery staff have reportedly been receiving psychological care to help them deal with the trauma.
The three carers were hospitalised with shock when they found out the boy had died, according to reports.
An autopsy is due to be carried out today.
Klaus Arnholdt, who is responsible for sport and nursery schools at the local council, said: "We need a lot of time in order to work out what happened in this tragic event."
The nursery was reportedly open for business again this week after deciding it was best for the children to be together in a group and work through what happened rather than be left at home.
