KEMAH, Texas – A family preparing a sailboat for a long voyage will now plan for a 5-year-old girl's funeral after she was found in the marina near the Kemah Boardwalk Thursday morning.
Fiona Grace Carroll, known as "Kitty," was playing on a dock at the marina when police said she apparently fell in.
The U.S. Coast Guard said Kitty's father called police about 5 p.m. Wednesday and told them that his daughter had disappeared near the edge of the pier.
KPRC 2 News learned that Kitty and her family were refitting a boat to sail to the Caribbean. She was helping out on the boat on Dock H when she was reported missing.
"She's really been the joy of our family. She was the youngest of all of the cousins and sparkled," said relative Christine Barr.
Kitty had just celebrated her fifth birthday. Searchers had held onto the family's optimism.
"We were certainly hoping that (she would be found safe)," said Tim Miller of Texas EquuSearch. "I think that all of us in our heart probably knew that wasn't going to be the case. I think that (for) all of us … the bigger worry was if she got caught in this channel and (was) not found."
Galveston County Sheriff's Department and Galveston Police Department dive team members searched for over seven hours before the child was found. Side-scan sonar and handheld sonars were used to aid in the search.
Kemah, Nassau Bay and Seabrook police and the U.S. Coast Guard assisted with the search. An Air Station Houston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew also joined in. Kitty's body was found at 9 a.m. in the water near Dock H.
Flowers were displayed across the railing at the marina Thursday afternoon.