A 4-year-old Macon girl died after her father came home and found her submerged upside down in a water-filled trash can inside the family's bathroom, according to authorities. Jayde Wooten was pronounced dead at a nearby medical facility after emergency crews and neighbors attempted to revive her at the scene on Rocky Creek Road.
According to a Bibb County Sheriff's Office incident report, which WGXA obtained and the New York Post cited, deputies were sent to the home in the 1200 block of Rocky Creek Road shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday, September 19, for a medical emergency. Jayde's father told a responding deputy that he had just arrived home and realized his daughter was not in her room, while her mother said she had last seen Jayde eating in the kitchen before she fell asleep. The father searched the house and asked neighbors if they had seen the child before making the discovery in the bathroom.
Per the report, the trash can Jayde was found in held both water and fish, and investigators noted substantial water had spread across the floor toward the front door. The father pulled her from the container and carried her outside to seek help, while the mother ran to a neighbor's home for assistance. A neighbor and a second resident then began alternating CPR on the driveway.
Neighbors' CPR Efforts Before First Responders Arrived
The same sheriff's office report, cited by WSB-TV, states that during those efforts, Jayde briefly expelled fluid from her mouth and opened her eyes before losing consciousness again. A second neighbor performing CPR reported she could not detect a pulse. Macon-Bibb firefighters arrived and took over the response, and deputies found Jayde still receiving CPR when they reached the scene. Paramedics then transported her to a local hospital, where medical staff pronounced her dead.
As of Saturday, September 26, the Macon-Bibb County Coroner's Office had not released Jayde's autopsy results, and authorities had not announced an official cause or manner of death. The sheriff's office said additional details would be released as they become available and asked anyone with information to call investigators at 478-751-7500 or Macon Regional Crimestoppers at 1-877-68CRIME.
Family Turns to GoFundMe for Funeral Costs
Jayde's parents were identified as Maleek Wooten and Jorden Wooten in a GoFundMe campaign organized by Devin Wooten to help the family cover funeral costs and get through the coming months. The fundraiser describes Jayde's death as “a horrible accident,” and its organizer wrote that “no parent should ever have to face this kind of pain.” As of Saturday, the campaign had raised $3,755 toward a $5,500 goal.
Closer to home, a Macon business has stepped in to help. Macon Made Nutrition created a custom blue raspberry and piña colada loaded tea drink named “Jayde” at its Second Street location, according to Daily Macon, donating half of the beverage's proceeds and all sticker sales to support the family. Jayde had been a Pre-K student in Jones County.
A Known Hazard, and a Local Pattern
Standing water in tall, rigid containers like trash cans or 5-gallon buckets poses a well-documented drowning risk to toddlers. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has warned that young children are top-heavy, meaning their center of gravity sits higher than a container's rim, which can prevent them from pulling themselves back out if they tip in headfirst. National data compiled by AAP Publications shows drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 in the United States, with CDC figures showing drowning rates in that age group rose 28% between 2019 and 2022.
Locally, an August 2026 public report from the Bibb County Child Fatality Review Committee found that drownings had become the leading category of preventable injury deaths among children reviewed in the county during 2025. Under Georgia law, unexpected or injury-related child deaths must be reviewed by a county Child Fatality Review committee, made up of the district attorney, coroner, sheriff's office, and the Division of Family and Children Services, which is required to convene within 30 days of the incident.
No charges have been announced in Jayde's death as investigators await the coroner's findings.
