SEYMOUR, Tenn. — Update (12:55 p.m. 5/20/19): According to a spokesperson from the Blount County Sheriff's Office, the 26-day-old infant girl found unresponsive in a bathtub on May 7 was released from the hospital last week. There is no further information at this time.
Update( 12:30 p.m. 5/14/19): The 26-day-old infant girl who was found blue and unresponsive in a Seymour home's bathtub last week is now in stable condition, the Blount County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday. She had previously been in critical condition.
She was found in the tub along with a 15-month-old girl who later died.
Bethanie A. Carriker, 34, was charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse by neglect after allegedly leaving her two daughters unsupervised in the tub for "10-12 minutes."
Update( 1:15 p.m. 5/13/19): The Blount County Sheriff's Office had responded to a domestic call earlier in the day at the same Seymour home where two young were found unresponsive in a bathtub on Tuesday, 10News confirmed.
One of the children, a 15-month-old girl, later died. The 25-day-old infant girl is still alive, BCSO confirmed Monday, and "fighting for her life." She was in critical condition as of Wednesday.
Bethanie A. Carriker, 34, was charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse by neglect after allegedly leaving her daughters unsupervised in the tub for "10-12 minutes."
Update( 2 p.m. 5/8/19): Bethanie A. Carriker, a 34-year-old Seymour resident, appeared in Blount County General Sessions Court on Wednesday afternoon shortly before 2 p.m.
She was charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse by neglect after her 15-month-old daughter died and her 20-day-old infant remains in critical condition after both were found unresponsive in a bathtub.
10News Reporter Cole Sullivan was at the court hearing and live tweeted the proceedings.
Carriker was led into court by a public defender for a very short appearance before Judge Headrick.
Carriker will be kept in jail until another court date on May 29 at 1:30pm.
Update (10 a.m. 5/8/19): A 34-year-old mother was charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse by neglect after her 15-month-old daughter died and her 20-day-old infant remains in critical condition, a news release from the Blount County Sheriff's Office said.
The children were found unresponsive in a bathtub at a home in Seymour on Tuesday afternoon.
Their mother, Bethanie A. Carriker, of Seymour, is being held on a $1 million bond at the Blount County Correctional Facility, the release said. She is charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse by neglect.
The 15-month-old was pronounced dead Tuesday night at Children's Hospital.
The infant is currently being treated at Children's Hospital. According to court documents, the infant had to be intubated and placed into intensive care.
Carriker is set to appear in Blount County General Sessions Court on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. 10News Reporter Cole Sullivan is currently at the court hearing and will be live tweeting the proceedings.
Knoxville Defense Attorney T. Scott Jones says Carriker could face up to 60 years in prison.
"As a parent, you have a responsibility for the health and welfare of your child. And certainly if the facts bear out as it seems to be indicated and a mother left a child of that tender age in a bath for 12 to 15 minutes than you’re going to have a tough time addressing that," he said.
Because of the age of the children, Jones says her charges are elevated to a Class A felony.
According to court documents, Carriker allegedly said during a 911 call that she had put the two children in the bathtub and left the room for 10-12 minutes. When she returned, she said she found the two children blue and unresponsive.
An autopsy for the toddler is scheduled for Wednesday at the Knox County Regional Forensics Center.
The Seymour Volunteer Fire Department initially responded to the incident and requested additional resources, with Sevier, Blount and Knox County ambulances responding, a statement from SVFD Chief John Linsenbigler said.
When SVFD units arrived, they started resuscitation measures, the release said. The Sevier Co. ambulance was the first of the three counties to arrive, and began Advanced Life Support measures, the statement said.
"Everyone was focused to try and save the two precious lives," Linsenbigler said.
He noted that although first responders came from different departments and counties, they all worked together to care for the children.
"You have a Sevier Co. ambulance, with a SeymourVFD fireman, driving with a Sevier and Blount County paramedic in the back working feverishly," he said. "In the other ambulance, from Knox County, is a paramedic and a SeymourVFD paramedic working on breathing life into the other child."
Linsenbigler also asked that the public keep the family, dispatchers and first responders and ER staff in their thoughts and prayers.
Original Story (5/7/19): Two young children were rushed to the hospital after their mother found them in a bath tub.
According to the Seymour Volunteer Fire Department (SVFD), authorities were called to the residence on Greenfern Trail in Seymour just after 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
SVFD officials described the children as a baby and a toddler and said the mother was attempting to do CPR when they arrived.
The children were transported to the hospital in critical condition.
Neighbors watched as investigators continued to work Tuesday evening.
"Just devastating. I mean absolutely devastating," Amy Smith, who lives down the street, said. "Both of them being in the bathtub and [thinking] which one do I resuscitate and how do I do that. Just unbelievable. I cannot imagine what she's going through right now."
A spokesperson with the Blount County Sheriff's Office confirms investigators are at the scene investigating a possible "drowning incident." Ambulances from Knox, Blount, and Sevier counties responded to the incident.
We are working to get further information and will update this story when we have more.