Playground close to river where 4-year-old drowned
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“She loved those kids so much,” Barnhill said, speaking for her daughter, Tonya St. Clair, who remains behind bars on charges of child neglect. The family has been unable to raise enough money to make St. Clair’s $5,000 bond.
St. Clair has been in jail since her indictment last Friday for the accidental drowning death of Damion Bouldin, 4, who fell into the Barren Fork River and drowned near Rocket playground off Cope Street. Police took the case to the grand jury after investigating the tragedy.
“If there was any neglect involved, it was not on the part of my daughter,” Barnhill said, noting her daughter often kept Bouldin and his sisters for their parents who were family friends. “This makes her look like some kind of monster, but she’s a loving person who took care of those children without charging a dime. There were times when they were supposed to just be there for a few minutes and it would be hours before they were picked up.”
On the day of the drowning, Barnhill said her daughter was caring for the victim along with his two younger twin sisters and her own 6-year-old child. Barnhill said the 6-year-old along with Bouldin went to the nearby Rocket playground – a playground St. Clair could see from her front porch. However, at the time Bouldin went to the river, St. Clair was reportedly busy dressing his two sisters.
“My grandson tried to get Damion to come away from the river,” Barnhill said. “He said Damion picked up a little stick and walked toward the river saying he was going to go fishing. When he got over to the ramp, he slipped in.”
Barnhill said her brother, Robert Barnhill, was at St. Clair’s house and rushed to river to search for Bouldin. However, the child had already drifted away from the ramp. He was found a short time later downstream.
“She turned her head just long enough to dress the babies and he was gone,” Barnhill said. “Anyone who has ever taken their child to a store and has let go of their hand for an instant knows how children can take off real quick. This was a tragic accident. It wasn’t neglect.”
If anyone is to blame, Barnhill said, it would be the city since the playground is located so close to the river, without any barrier to keep small children from wandering over. Barnhill said there are numerous small children who play at the park.
“Aside from one fence by the swing sets, there’s nothing to stop a child from wandering down to the ramp,” Barnhill said. “I don’t know why it isn’t more secure down there.”
In the meantime, Barnhill said her daughter is anguishing in jail over the loss of Damion.
“Tonya is devastated,” Barnhill said. “They’ve had to put her on suicide watch twice since she’s been out at the jail.”