A three-year-old child has died in hospital after drowning in Ajax on Tuesday evening.

Durham Regional Police say officers responded to a drowning call in the Harwood Avenue North and Rossland Road West area in the town’s north end just before 5:30 p.m.

The child was rushed to hospital but was later pronounced dead, police say.

No further details about the incident have been released by police, however they are requesting privacy for the victim's family.

In a tweet, the Durham Regional Police Service’s Traffic Enforcement Unit said their “thoughts are with the family involved & our hearts also go out to all the emergency responders.”

“Our members, many of whom are fathers/mothers/sons & daughters, raced to this call to try and help. A tragic loss that impacts us all.”