911 Call Recording Made Public as Child Rescued from Storm Drain Remains in Critical Condition

Key Information

• Incident involved a young girl swept into a storm drain.
• The girl was under her grandmother’s supervision when the accident happened.
• She was found 200 yards from where she disappeared, floating face up.
• Emergency responders conducted lifesaving measures before transferring her to hospitals.
• Legal experts believe no charges will be filed against the child’s guardians.
• Donations are being accepted through a GoFundMe page created by the victim’s family.

An incident report reveals that a young girl was discovered approximately 200 yards west of her last known location, just before she was swept away by swift-moving water.

The report indicates that the child had been playing in a ditch under the watchful eyes of her grandmother when she was unexpectedly pulled into the drain. A nearby water main break intensified the flow, increasing the danger.

In a desperate plea for help, the grandmother called 911.

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“It sucked her under,” the grandmother recounted to the 911 operator.

“Tell me exactly what happened,” the operator urged.

“She got sucked into the culvert. There’s a water line flowing right out here. We were letting the kids play when she went under,” the grandmother explained. ,

Responding deputies and firefighters lifted storm grates to conduct a search and ultimately found the girl floating face up.

Firefighters retrieved her from the water and initiated lifesaving efforts before transporting her to Sarasota Memorial Hospital. She was later transferred to All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg.

ABC7 spoke with Dr. Neil Grigg, a drainage expert from Colorado State University, regarding the prevalence of such incidents.

“It’s fairly common here in the United States,” Grigg noted. “There are many storm drains and ditches that pose hazards.”

RELATED STORY | Child swept into storm drain remains in critical condition as investigation continues

Grigg further emphasized that such accidents can transpire with or without external contributing factors like a water main break. He asserted that children playing near water can easily get caught in dangerous currents.

When asked how to avert future incidents, Grigg responded, “Sadly, existing safety measures aren’t sufficient to prevent such occurrences, as we’re dealing with very basic technology.”

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office has assigned a detective from the Criminal Investigation Section to the ongoing case.

Legal specialists suggest that it is improbable any charges will be filed against the parents.

“This is an unusual incident where a child becomes caught in a drain,” commented Alexis Rosenburg, an attorney with Rosenberg Law.

“If the child was reasonably supervised, which appears to be the case, I doubt charges will be brought against the parents or guardians. It seems to be a tragic accident.”

The girl currently remains in critical condition, with the investigation continuing.

Family members have set up a GoFundMe page to accept donations during this challenging time.