A 2-year-old Battle Ground girl drowned Saturday evening at Lewisville Regional Park after she wandered away from her family.
Emily Moffatt described her niece, Georgia Paige Jones, who went by Georgie, as “a ray of sunshine” who always had a big smile on her face.
“She was a ball of energy,” Moffatt said. “She was so curious and funny and goofy.”
Moffatt said Georgie was playing at the park with her dad, her 5-year-old sister and their dog. Georgie’s dad took his eyes off her for a moment when the girl disappeared, her aunt said. He called 911, and search crews quickly responded.
Crews found the girl unresponsive about 100 to 150 feet down river, Moffatt said. They rushed her to a hospital. Paramedics and hospital staff tried to revive the toddler, but after 90 minutes, she was pronounced dead, Moffatt said.
After the family left the hospital, Moffatt said a friend went to the park to get the family’s truck and noted the river was loud and moving fast.
Now, Moffatt said the big family and a number of friends are keeping Georgie’s parents company. She said the family is also seeking counseling.
“Her parents are devastated. My brother just keeps saying that he’s broken,” Moffatt said. “But they have a huge support system. We have really good sized families on both my brother’s side and his wife’s side. They have a big support system of friends, and we’ve just been trying to keep as many people at their house as possible so that they’re just surrounded by people.”
A GoFundMe was created to help with Georgie’s funeral costs and allow the family time off from work. It can be found at https://gofund.me/cff0d629.
“Georgie was a beautiful, funny, fearless, ferocious and tenacious child who could brighten even your darkest days,” the fundraiser states. “She was a joy to all those lucky enough to be in her presence, and her light will forever shine down for us to see.”
