Jayde Wooten was rushed to a hospital after family members and neighbors tried to revive her at a south Macon home.
MACON, Ga. — Authorities are investigating the death of a 4-year-old girl who was found unresponsive in a large trash can containing water and fish inside a bathroom at her south Macon home, according to the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and an incident report.
Jayde Wooten was found Sept. 19 after her father returned to the home and realized he could not find her, according to the incident report obtained by WGXA. Family members and neighbors tried to revive the child before emergency crews took her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Authorities have not released a cause of death, and the sheriff’s office said the investigation remains ongoing.
The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and Macon-Bibb County Fire Department responded to the home in the 1200 block of Rocky Creek Road shortly before 2 p.m. Deputies arrived to find CPR being performed on Jayde in the driveway, according to the incident report.
Jayde’s father told a deputy that he had just returned home when he went to his daughter’s bedroom and discovered she was not there. He woke the child’s mother, who told him Jayde had been eating in the kitchen when she fell asleep, according to the report.
The father searched rooms inside the house and then went outside to ask neighbors whether they had seen his daughter. He told authorities that he returned inside after hearing the child’s mother scream. Jayde was then found unresponsive in a large trash can containing water and fish in a small bathroom, according to the incident report.
Jayde’s father removed her from the container and carried her outside to get help. A responding deputy reported seeing the container in the bathroom along with water on the floor and extending toward the front door. Authorities have not publicly explained how Jayde entered the container or how long she may have been there.
A neighbor told investigators that Jayde’s mother came to her home seeking help. The neighbor went across the street and began CPR. Another neighbor also helped with efforts to revive the child until firefighters and emergency medical personnel arrived, according to the incident report. Jayde was then transported to a local hospital, where medical staff pronounced her dead.
News of Jayde’s death prompted a response from the Jones County School System, which said one of its prekindergarten students had died. Jones County High School encouraged students and staff to wear blue in her memory, saying the color had been selected by her family because it was Jayde’s favorite.
Jayde’s family described her death as a “horrible accident” in an online fundraiser established to help with funeral expenses and support her parents. That description reflects the family’s account; investigators have not announced an official determination about the circumstances of her death.
No criminal charges were reported in the latest information reviewed. The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office said its investigation remains active, and authorities had not publicly released a final cause or manner of death.
Author note: Last updated September 27, 2026.