Little girl in critical condition after being swept into storm drain in Sarasota – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports
SARASOTA, Fla. (WSVN)– A young girl in Sarasota County was suddenly swept away into a storm drain.
According to investigators, the incident happened just after 6:00 p.m. Sunday night.
The young girl was playing near a storm drain with other kids, when she was suddenly pulled into the drain by a powerful current, fueled by a busted water main.
She was dragged hundreds of feet before crews were able to pull her from that drain.
“Basically, it looks like a waterfall. There was water just rushing down the street,” said neighbor Tom McGhee. “You can see the water running down the street.”
McGhee shared footage from his Ring doorbell video. Video shows about 4 feet of water flooding the street.
Emergency crews arrived minutes later, many of them running in a westward direction when they realized the little girl was swept into the pipe.
“I don’t know where that is, I don’t know how she could’ve fallen in, but there was enough water there that if there was a hole in the ground somewhere, somebody walking through there could easily fall in,” said McGhee.
Officials say the girl was pushed nearly 100 yards before firefighters were able to pull her from the drain.
She was then rushed to Sarasota Memorial Hospital where she is now fighting for her life.
A woman at the little girl’s home did not want to give her name, but says, they are grateful for those rescue workers, and also asking for prayers.
“Everyone was great, all of the officers, the firefighters… everyone was,” said the woman. “They’re saying it’s going to take a miracle, so we ask, please, pray for a miracle, because God can do miracles…she had so many miracles to bring her up out of there.”
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office assigned a detective from their criminal division to the case, saying given the circumstances, it warrants a full investigation.
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