JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mike Jones considers the death of 18-month-old Jose Lara tragic and is sharing tips on how unfortunate incidents like this can possibly be prevented.
"It's always a tragedy. Our prayers go out to the family in Putnam County. You don't never want to hear this kind of news," he told First Coast News.
Lara, according to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, was found in a septic tank Monday on his parent's property after he was first reported missing Sunday afternoon.
Jones says a properly installed and secured septic tank lid make all the difference.
The Putnam County sheriff says there was dirt covering a piece of plywood that was laying on top of the septic tank - calling the area where Lara was found overgrown with weeds.
Jones, the owner of Duck Duck Rooter, says plywood and other materials used for a quick-fix can become soft and brittle. "A lot of times, they cover them temporarily with a piece of plywood or a piece of steel and the saturation or corrosion from it will deteriorate," he explained.
He says using unsecured plywood to cover the hole can be dangerous and even deadly. "We've had adults fall in, people riding lawn mowers fall in. Different things like that. So, yes, you take a toddler that's two and a half foot tall, he goes into a tank, he's going in a long ways," Jones said.
Jones offers septic tank inspections and reminds homeowners and renters to make sure they are aware of what's on their property, and to make sure it is up to code. "We ask everybody that's on a septic system to be familiar with your septic system. Take care of all the things that need to be (taken care of). The cost of that and fixing these things is better than losing a life," he said.
Septic tanks in Florida are regulated by the state's Department of Environmental Protection. For more information, click here.