Death of son, 3, has father 'heartbroken,' boy's aunt says

The Daily Inter Lake

The family of the father of the 3-year-old boy who drowned in an Evergreen septic tank issued a written statement Sunday - expressing sorrow about the loss and gratefulness for the community's help.

Mark Rogers said he had taken his son Loic Rogers out to his van Wednesday evening after having dinner at a friend's house on Maple Drive in Evergreen. He told the child to get into the van and returned to the house to get another child.

When Mark Rogers returned minutes later, Loic was gone. After searching for 20 minutes without success, he called authorities and the boy's mother, Ariel Rogers.

Ariel and Mark Rogers are estranged and involved in a custody battle over their three children - with Mark Rogers having temporary custody.

After an initial search Wednesday night, at least 200 people searched the area Thursday and almost 100 continued the search Friday until the boy was found Friday evening in a septic tank 10 feet from the van.

Searchers had checked the septic tank - which was almost full - Wednesday evening, but did not see the boy. On Saturday, Flathead County Sheriff Mike Meehan speculated that the boy could have been in a corner of the tank where the searchers could not see him.

The body was not found until the tank was drained.

"We are still reeling from the shock of his disappearance, and the realization that despite best efforts and intentions, a child's life can be taken from us in minutes," according to the family's statement. "Our despair is that feeling every family knows when a child is out of sight for a minute. Unlike the vast majority of the times when a a child returns, now we must deal without Loic's return. It is so difficult to comprehend that Loic is gone.

"Mark's children are the center of his life; his reason for being. He is not one who says he loves his children and yet rarely sees them. Mark is there for his children night and day, caring for their needs. … "

Also, according to the statement, "the outpouring of hope and love from the community and rescue workers during our time of need gives us strength. We appreciate every person who looked for Loic, brought food, held our hands, or had Loic in their prayers. You are heroes to us, and we are forever grateful."

Mark Rogers and members of his family did not want to comment beyond that statement, said his sister Sara Kavanaugh.

"He's just heartbroken," she said.

The family wants to concentrate on "just healing," Kavanaugh said, saying that Ariel Rogers earlier said she wanted to do the same.

Members of the parents' families said during the weekend that they were not interested in pointing fingers at each other. Ariel Rogers defended Mark Rogers earlier, saying: "He would never do anything to hurt our children."

However, the boy's maternal grandfather, Ron Weprek, accused Mark Rogers of being negligent, contending he should not have custody of the other two children.

Ariel Rogers is pregnant with her fourth child, with the baby due in March. She is hospitalized to see if the of her son endangered her pregnancy.

The Sheriff's Office is continuing to investigate the boy's death, planning to turn the results over to the Flathead County prosecutor's office for a decision on whether charges should be filed.

One major puzzle in the case is that the tank's lid was in place during the early stages of the search, if not before the search. The lid is light enough that the boy could have lifted it, Meehan said Saturday. However, whether the boy could have replaced the lid after entering the tank is undetermined.

The investigation is expected to last a few days.