Town grieving loss of four-year-old girl who fell under Christmas float

By The Canadian Press

YARMOUTH, N.S. — A grief counsellor was made available for people in the small Nova Scotia town of Yarmouth in the wake of a tragic accident that saw a four-year-old killed during the annual Santa Claus parade.

Police say the little girl fell underneath a moving parade float while running alongside it during the procession Saturday.

She was rushed to a local hospital, but was pronounced dead a short time later.

Yarmouth Mayor Pam Mood says several children and people along the route witnessed the accident, which happened on one of the town’s main thoroughfares.

She says a grief specialist was available Sunday to speak with some of the people dealing with the loss.

Vance Webb witnessed the incident and says the entire scene descended into “mayhem” as people realized what had happened.

“People within 50 feet of it — none of us are OK. All the adults were crying. Everywhere I saw, there were hundreds of people crying,” Webb said.

Nova Scotia RCMP spokesman Cpl. Dal Hutchinson says the investigation is ongoing and will at some point involve taking statements from the girl’s parents and the person driving the float.

The Canadian Press

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