A boy aged two is fighting for his life after being found floating in a canal just minutes after he slipped away from his mother.
The youngster was being taken for a walk to a neighbour's home when he suddenly ran off and wandered up to 100 metres across a public park. Police were called in just minutes later when his mother failed to find him.
The boy was later found face down in a six-feet deep stretch of the Leeds-Liverpool canal in Burnley, Lancashire, shortly afterwards by a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO).
The canal in Burnley where the boy was found. He was rescued by a police community service officer
He and colleagues jumped into the water, pulled the boy to safety and tried to resuscitate him as he lay unconscious on the canal bank.
As detectives began an investigation, the unnamed boy was in a critical condition in Manchester Children's Hospital following the teatime tragedy on Monday.
Officers are to question the youngster's mother about the moments leading up to her son's disappearance.
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Det Insp Marie Haworth from Lancashire Police said: 'We are trying to establish how this little boy sadly ended up in the canal.
''We know that the little boy was last with his mum at 5.05pm and found by police at 5.50pm
'At this stage we are keeping an open mind about how the little boy ended up in the canal. It is unclear which road the little boy has taken and at this stage it is difficult to say how long he had been in the water.
'We believe just mum and little boy were together before he ran off.
The park is common with children, dog walkers and families, it would have been quite busy.'
DI Marie Haworth from Lancashire Police appeals at a press conference for information on the discovery of a young boy found face down in a canal after he 'ran off' from his mother's side
She added: "This is a tragic incident and we're working hard to piece together exactly how this toddler has come to be in the water.
'Monday was a nice, sunny day and between 5pm and 5.50pm I am confident there would have been many people in the area travelling home from work, feeding the ducks or walking their dogs.
'We are appealing for witnesses in the area at the time who may have seen the little boy on his own or with his mum.
'At this stage we are keeping an open mind about how this little boy has ended up in the canal.
'It is obviously an extremely difficult time for the family and we have specially trained officer there to support them.'
Lancashire Police said the boy was walking with his mum from the Colne Road area to another nearby address when he ran off along Pheasantford Green sometime after 5.05pm.
Officers were alerted shortly after 5.30pm and an immediate search of the area was launched.
The boy was found face down in the canal at Pit Top Park by the police community service officer around 20 minutes later at 5.50pm.
He was pulled from the water by the officer, who called the ambulance. The boy was then taken by air ambulance to the Royal Blackburn Hospital and later transferred to Manchester Children's Hospital where he is said to be very poorly.
Police are appealing for witnesses in the area to come forward.
The boy is described as being Asian with short, dark hair and was wearing a grey t-shirt, black trousers and white shoes.
He was with his mum, who is also of Asian, and aged 25, medium build with long, dark hair and was wearing dark, traditional Asian clothing and a headscarf.
A police community service officer pulled out a two-year-old boy from this canal and tried to resuscitate him. The child is now fighting for his life in a Manchester hospital