Tragedy as boy, 3, drowns in bathtub

By HEIDI DESCH - Hungry Horse News

A 3-year-old boy drowned in a bathtub in West Glacier last weekend.

Kalob Connors died at Community Hospital in Missoula after being taken off life support Sunday, according to the Flathead County Sheriff's Department.

He is the son of Michael Connors and Brandy Klein.

The boy had been at his grandmother's house in West Glacier on Saturday when he was found floating in a bathtub.

Lorrie Allen, his grandmother, contacted the Hungry Horse News to explain what happened.

She had been caring for Kalob and his two cousins on Saturday.

Allen said that after giving Kalob's younger cousin a bath, Kalob asked to take a bath, too. So she helped him get into the bathtub and then went to put the younger cousin down for a nap.

She said she was "eight steps" from him. After putting the baby down she went into the bathroom and found Kalob floating in the bathtub.

Allen said she immediately called 911 and began CPR.

She said Kalob was first taken to Kalispell Regional Medical Center, where his heart started and he began breathing again.

Then the decision was made to take him to Missoula because of pediatric specialists there.

Allen said an autopsy showed that Kalob had a genetic heart condition.

Kalob also had a history of seizures, she said. He had previously been flown out of West Glacier after he stopped breathing.

She said that while Kalob was sick, water had always soothed him.

The Sheriff's Department in a media release on Monday said an autopsy was performed at the Montana State Crime Lab on Nov. 11.

The release says the "autopsy revealed that the primary cause of death was drowning." It also states that a heart condition and seizure disorders may have been contributing factors, but had not been confirmed.

The incident is being investigated by the Sheriff's Department.