3 children die after getting trapped in unplugged freezer in Florida

Live Oak, Fla. -- - Authorities in Florida say three young children playing outside climbed into an unplugged chest freezer and died when they couldn't get out. The Suwannee County Sheriff's Office says the children, ages 1, 4, and 6, couldn't be revived when they were found Sunday at a home in Live Oak in north Florida.

Officials say the children lived at the house with two of the children's grandmother and the other child's mother. The women were roommates.

The sheriff's office says in a Facebook post that one of the women went inside to use the restroom and couldn't find the children upon returning.

The women searched the property and found the children in the freezer.

Police say an after-market hasp used to secure a padlock had been installed on the freezer. Deputies believe the lid closed on the children and the hasp fell shut, trapping the children in the freezer. There was not a padlock on the freezer. 

The sheriff's office says foul play isn't suspected. The case will be forwarded for review to prosecutors.

In:
• Florida