In March 2023, Amanpreet’s world was turned upside down when her 3-year old son, Nihal, tragically stepped onto an unsecured septic pit, fell straight in and drowned. 

Amanpreet and her family were attending a family friend’s housewarming just north of Melbourne, when Nihal, who was playing outside, couldn’t be seen. Unable to locate him, a desperate search began among the 150 guests on the property. Only when they witnessed another child's foot getting caught in the cover of the septic pit, did someone open the lid. Devastatingly, they spotted Nihal’s jumper in the water.

“I had never heard of a septic pit before that day. I didn’t know what it was,” Amanpreet cried. “I can't count how many times I ran over that septic pit.” Despite desperate attempts to revive him, Nihal could not be saved.

To honour her son, Amanpreet has bravely shared her story to prevent future tragedies. You can hear Amanpreet’s story below - please be warned that it does talk about child death and can be triggering for some.

Click here to watch Amanpreet's video in English

Click here to watch Amanpreet's video in Punjabi

Nihal’s death was completely preventable – and is not an isolated incident either. There have been two additional toddler deaths in Australia over the past 18 months and countless more tragedies that have taken place internationally. Kidsafe have identified 3 key priorities that will help save future lives, as highlighted below:

• All families to check the safety of their septic systems to ensure that the lid is unable to be opened without tools/ more than one adult
• The installation of a child resistant screen under the lid as a secondary backup option if the lid fails - these are not currently available in Australia but we are looking into options
• The establishment of a Certificate of Compliance requirement similar to that of swimming pools, particularly when a property with a septic system is either sold or rented
• We believe these proactive measures will help prevent others from sustaining a serious injury. We owe it to Nihal and his family to make these changes and create a lasting legacy.

We invite you to support our campaign by:

• Donating to support Nihal’s legacy via the link above
• Sharing social media posts about the dangers of septic systems through your channels, including Amanpreet’s video
• Re-sharing Kidsafe Victoria’s posts about dangers of septic pits on properties and key safety tips