Emergency crews swarmed Phillips Farm on Good Hope Church Road in Wake County on Friday after a report that a child had gotten into a body of water at the fall fun park. An ambulance was seen at the property, and officials gathered near the water play area as the response unfolded.
Crews were dispatched to the area after a child was in a body of water, according to WRAL, whose Sky 5 helicopter flew over the scene. WRAL reported that emergency crews responded to a report of a water rescue at the farm, which sits along Good Hope Church Road.
Phillips Farm describes its grounds as sitting in the heart of historic Morrisville, Cary, North Carolina, and the park markets itself as a seasonal destination with water-adjacent attractions for families. Among the activities advertised on the farm's website are fish feeding and duck races, the kind of draw that brings parents and young children to the property during its open season. The park has been scheduled to operate Thursday through Sunday each week, and its website notes that no online ticketing will be available in 2026.
Farm Asked About Incident
WRAL reported that it had reached out to Phillips Farm of Cary for information about what happened and what future safety measures might follow.
A Broader Concern Around Water Safety
State officials have flagged water safety as a persistent concern for young children in North Carolina. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has said drowning is preventable but remains a leading cause of death for the state's children ages one to four. A separate item cited by the North Carolina Department of Insurance referenced an estimate that roughly 1,000 children drown nationally in a single year, with about 70 percent of those deaths occurring between May and August, though the underlying documentation for that figure was not independently reviewed.
Earlier this year, Wake County saw another water emergency draw public attention: in July, a 12-year-old girl died after being pulled from the water near the Neuse River Greenway Trail, according to the Wake County Sheriff's Office as reported by ABC11 Raleigh-Durham. CBS17 also covered a drowning near Raleigh Beach.
Permit Rules for Public Pools
North Carolina law sets requirements for public swimming pools before they can open to visitors. Under state statute, no public swimming pool may be opened for use unless its owner or operator has obtained an operation permit issued by the state under rules adopted pursuant to G.S. 130A-282, according to the North Carolina General Assembly.
WRAL reported that Sky 5 flew over the scene and that the child was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.
