00:00Two-year-old Kumanjai Fly fell into the septic tank in the backyard of his family's home in
00:06the community of Mount Liebig, about 300 kilometres west of Alice Springs, in March
00:112023. After the toddler went missing, his grandmother noticed the cover of the septic
00:15tank was a little bit open. His neighbour, Roderick Daniels, leapt headfirst into the
00:20tank and found the boy upside down in the sewerage and pulled him free. The toddler
00:24was flown to Adelaide's Women's and Children's Hospital, but later died on April 3rd, 2023.
00:28On Friday, Coroner Elizabeth Armitage handed down findings following the inquest, which
00:33was held in October 2024, saying the family had suffered an unfathomable loss. She said
00:39there had been multiple missed opportunities by various departments to improve the safety
00:43of the septic tank and that if proper maintenance or replacement had taken place, the death could
00:48have been prevented. Judge Armitage said the cover on the tank had failed because of corrosion
00:52and should have been detected. She recommended more robust maintenance systems for remote
00:56public housing. The acting CEO of the Department of Logistics and Infrastructure said it offered
01:01its heartfelt condolences and sincere apologies to the family and friends impacted by the incident
01:06and said it would consider the coroner's recommendations.
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