A 2-year-old boy who was taken to a hospital in critical condition after being found in a canal in Denair on Monday evening has died, the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office said. The family reported the child was missing at approximately 6 p.m. Monday. Friends and family members began searching the surrounding area for the boy.George Griggs, who's lived in the community for 46 years, told KCRA 3 that he was having dinner when his neighbors banged on his door letting them know their child was missing."First thing we know, they're hollering 'he's over here.' That's when they pulled him out of the canal," recalled Griggs.Officials said before deputies arrived, the child was found by family and friends in the water-filled canal near the 4300 block of Swanson Road in unincorporated Denair, about a half mile away from his residence. The 2-year-old boy was taken to a hospital in critical condition on Monday evening, Stanislaus County Sheriffs said.Early Tuesday morning, officials confirmed with KCRA 3 the child had died at the hospital.Sergeant Layton with the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office said that they found water in the boy's lungs.The sheriff's department said the apparent cause of death was drowning. Toxicology results are still pending.Officials said evidence suggests this was a tragic accident. The canal is about 20 feet away from the home of the young victim and has no fencing or barriers around it."Being an agricultural community that we are , most canals are unfenced or there's really little fencing, so that will play a factor in the decision of looking at things," added Layton. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.