What began as an ordinary Sunday evening of outdoor play ended in heartbreak for the family of 5-year-old Zaria Miller. The young girl had been outside playing with her brothers near Bahia Vista Street, close to Sarasota Christian School, when an unimaginable accident occurred that would soon capture the attention and concern of the entire community.
According to officials, just after 6:00 p.m., Zaria and a group of other children were near a culvert—a tunnel-like structure that channels rainwater underground—when heavy water flow, likely intensified by recent rains, suddenly pulled her into the storm drainage system. Within moments, she disappeared from view, swept away by the powerful current. Emergency responders later confirmed that the force of the water carried her approximately 100 yards through the underground pipes before she could be located and rescued.Continue reading…
