EL RIO : Girl Who Fell Into Septic Tank Dies

The El Rio girl who fell down a narrow opening in her family’s back-yard septic tank died Thursday morning from a massive infection, authorities said.

Amy Rocha, who would have turned 3 next month, never regained consciousness after the accident Tuesday night.

Firefighters pulled her from the underground tank after she had been submerged for 10 to 15 minutes. The toddler had been playing with her two older brothers when she slipped into the nine-inch opening, relatives said.

“It has been a terrible three days,” the girl’s uncle said Thursday.

Amy was transferred Tuesday night to a pediatric intensive care unit at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara but was never able to breathe on her own.

“She came to us and we tried to save her life,” said Janet O’Neill, a hospital spokeswoman. “We did everything we could, but she died at 5 a.m.”

The Santa Barbara County coroner listed the cause of death as sepsis, a massive bacterial infection caused by being submerged in the sewage. She also suffered from major organ failure, the coroner said.

Family members said they had not yet made plans for services.