Family of girl who drowned on field trip says Paulding school hasn’t reached out
A Paulding County family grieving the loss of a 6-year-old girl who died on a field trip last week still has many unanswered questions.
The family also says no one from the school reached out to Victoria King’s parents after her Wednesday death, relatives told Channel 2 Action News in a statement.
“What has made it even harder is that no one from McGarity Elementary has personally reached out — not a single call, message, or representative has contacted the parents to offer condolences or visit to mourn with them,” the family said. “While the school community received a general letter, the parents themselves were never contacted or comforted directly, and that silence has added to their pain.”
The family’s statement was the first time the child has been identified since her death. It was also the first time the family has spoken publicly.
Victoria was on a field trip with classmates to Carlton Farms in Polk County on Wednesday, the school district previously confirmed. Students were at the farm around noon when a school staff member noticed the child was unaccounted for, Polk government spokesperson Olivia Smith said.
Victoria was later found unresponsive in a pool beside a residence, Smith said. Bystanders began lifesaving measures while awaiting emergency responders. The girl was taken to Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center in Rome, where she died.
The Paulding school district confirmed the child’s death and shared a letter sent to families by the McGarity principal. But the district declined to answer questions from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about how many supervisors were on the trip and how long the student was missing before her absence was noticed, citing the ongoing investigation.
The King family also has questions about how Victoria died.
“The family is still in deep grief and struggling with unanswered questions,” the family’s statement read. “They have not been told how school staff lost track of her, how she got to the pool, or how long she was there. The pool was not part of the trip, and the family still does not know how it was accessible or whether it had been properly secured or supervised as an adult pool.”
On Friday, the family and staff that run Carlton Farms said they are “devastated” after the child’s death.
In a Facebook post that afternoon, the Rockmart farm said events have been canceled following the incident.
“The Carlton Family and staff at Carlton Farms are completely devastated and heartbroken from the recent tragic event that occurred on our farm,” the statement said. “We covet your prayers of comfort for the family, school, and all those who were in attendance.”
Funeral plans for Victoria have not been publicly announced.
