Dad Was 'Binge Watching’ TV When His Son, 2, Went Outside ‘Alone.' Boy Was Later Found Dead in River: D.A. Says

The parents of 2-year-old Dane Paulsen told investigators that the toddler "was not fearful of the water, but did not know how to swim"

NEED TO KNOW

• Dane Paulsen, 2, was found dead on Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at around 11:13 a.m. in the Siletz River after a 10-day search
• The toddler’s father, Aaron Paulsen, allegedly told investigators that he was “binge watching” TV on his phone and “watched Dane walk out the back sliding glass door alone” on the day he disappeared
• The child’s mother, Chamet, said she heard her son outside a trailer she was cleaning, and returned to look for him about 15 minutes after he had disappeared, per court documents

New details have been released about the circumstances that led to the disappearance of a toddler, who was eventually found dead in an Oregon river.

Aaron Paulsen, the father of 2-year-old Dane Paulsen, had been watching the child before he disappeared, according to court documents filed by the Lincoln County District Attorney’s Office obtained by local outlets KOIN, KATU and KPTV.

Chamet Jackson, the toddler’s mother, told investigators that she had brought the child inside to the living room, where Aaron was watching TV on his phone, and told him that she would be right back before leaving the father and son alone, according to court documents obtained by the outlets.

Per the documents, Aaron told investigators that he had been “binge watching" a TV show and "watched Dane walk out the back sliding glass door alone,” KATU reported. 

Jackson later told police that she heard her son knocking on the door of the trailer that she had been cleaning and remembered thinking, “Oh s–t the baby’s out.” She said she heard him walking around the trailer, but did not open the door and continued with her task, the court documents allege, per KOIN.

The court documents also allege that the 2-year-old had been gone for about 15 minutes before his mother returned to look for him, the outlet reported.

Per court documents, a local fisherman later heard a woman screaming for a missing child and called 911, which kicked off a ten-day search for the boy, according to KOIN.

Aaron and Chamet told authorities, per court documents, that their property had a trail that led to the river, and they were "aware that Dane loved the water, was not fearful of the water, but did not know how to swim,” according to KOIN and KATU.

PEOPLE has reached out to the Lincoln County D.A.’s Office for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.

Dane was found dead on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at around 11:13 a.m. in the Siletz River, the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office in Oregon confirmed in a statement on Facebook. His body was located about 3 miles downstream from his family's home.

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"Our thoughts are with the family, who are facing an unbearable sorrow," Sheriff Adam Shanks said in a statement at the time. "We are deeply grateful for the support and dedication shown by the search teams and our communities throughout this difficult time, though we wish it was under different circumstances."

The discovery was made after days of searching by Oregon State Police, FBI, other regional agencies, and nearly 150 community volunteers.

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