PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — A McGarity Elementary School student who died on Wednesday during a field trip to Carlton Farms in Rockmart has been identified by her family.
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On Wednesday, the Polk County Police Department confirmed to Channel 2’s Bryan Mims that a staff member noticed a 6-year-old girl was missing. They later found her unresponsive in a pool next to a house on the property.
The family has identified the 6-year-old as Victoria King.
The uncles and aunts of King sent the following statement to Channel 2 Action News:
The family is still in deep grief and struggling with unanswered questions. 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.
The family cannot understand why an adult swimming pool on the same property was left unguarded or accessible while a school field trip of young children was underway. They are heartbroken, confused, and still have no clear answers about what happened to their child.
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. 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.
In contrast, the Rockmart Walmart community and management personally reached out to offer condolences and help with anything needed, and their kindness meant a great deal to the family during this painful time.
At this point, Victoria’s parents are not ready for interviews, but they want people to understand the depth of their loss, the unanswered questions they still face, and how much the compassion of the community has meant compared to the silence from the school.
The family continues to hope that the truth will come out and that justice will be served for Victoria.
Thank you for your understanding and for covering this story with compassion and accuracy.
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The farm where King died is popular during the fall with its pumpkins and corn maze. It has been family-owned for more than a century.
Mims spoke briefly with a woman on the property, who said nobody at the farm would be making any comment.
The Paulding County School District expressed its deepest condolences to the family and friends of the student and is offering counseling and bereavement support services to all students and staff as they cope with the loss.
“Our hearts are with the student’s family and loved ones,” principal Jamesa Hodge wrote in a letter to the school community. “This is a difficult time for all of us, but I know our McGarity community will come together with compassion and care as we remember our classmate.”
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says it has been asked to assist with the death investigation.
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