Tot's drowning death ruled an accident

The drowning of a Creston baby has been officially ruled an accident, Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry said Thursday.

An autopsy on 11-month-old Mariella Dalimata, who drowned Aug. 2 after falling into a mop bucket at her home, has been completed by the Montana State Crime Lab.

The autopsy confirmed that the baby drowned and that the fluid in her lungs was consistent with the fluid in the mop bucket.

There was no sign of prior or current abuse. The height of the five-gallon bucket and the baby’s height and ability to reach into the bucket were consistent with an accidental drowning.

The girl’s parents, Kayla and Mark Dalimata, and other family members were formally interviewed during the investigation.

The Inter Lake and the Sheriff’s Office have received a number of calls raising questions about the baby’s death.

“We always assign a detective to these types of cases,” Curry said. “Even with SIDS [Sudden Infant Death Syndrome] deaths, we send a detective. There’s always a high index of suspicion in these cases because babies usually just don’t die.

“Unfortunately, it is possible. Sometimes, people have a very hard time accepting that. But our protocol is to investigate these cases as if it’s not accidental until we can prove it is.”

The body was sent to the state crime lab in Missoula, as is protocol with all infant deaths, Curry said.

Reporter Brittany Brevik can be reached by email at bbrevik@dailyinterlake.com or by calling (406) 758-4459.