A young girl is fighting for her life after being swept into a storm drain during a devastating water main break in Sarasota, Florida.
According to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, a 911 call came in around 6:14 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 24, reporting that the child had been pulled into the drain on Bahia Vista Street. Deputies said she had been playing nearby when sudden flooding overwhelmed the area.
Officials explained that heavy rain combined with a 12-inch water main break created a powerful current, sucking the girl into the storm drain. Deputies arrived within minutes and launched a frantic search, eventually finding her about 100 yards away in a wooded retention area across from Sarasota Christian School.
She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she remains in critical condition as of Aug. 25.
Photos shared by Sarasota County Government show the aftermath, including a massive hole spanning nearly two lanes of the road. Crews worked through the night to repair the damage and stabilize the area.
“The flooding and the break created an extremely dangerous situation,” officials said, adding that the investigation into how the incident happened is still ongoing.
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there is so much more we can do to decrease flooding when we protect the environment