PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — A McGarity Elementary School student died on Wednesday during a field trip to Carlton Farms in Rockmart.
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.
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Bystanders and first responders performed CPR and other life-saving measures, but the girl later died at the hospital. Officials have not identified the student.
Katie Hughes is the parent of a kindergartner and was on the field trip with her child Wednesday. She saw the ambulance and first responders but didn’t know what happened.
She later learned of the tragic news from the principal’s letter to families.
“Oh it was just awful,” she said. “I mean anything like this with any person is awful, but with kids, it’s just awful.”
She said she has three children who have attended McGarity Elementary and has high praise for the school and Carlton Farms.
“I definitely think things happen,” she said. “I would never place blame on any person or school or farm or anything like that,” she said. “I think things just unfortunately happened in a negative way.”
She said her family has always had a fun, safe experience at the farm.
“We’ve been to the farm plenty of times. They’re fantastic. The family’s fantastic. They’re great not with just field trips, but with families,” she said.
The farm is especially 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 letter also offered support for families who might choose to keep their children at home to help them process the loss, stating that such absences would be excused.
The school said it is committed to supporting every student’s emotional well-being, with counselors available to assist those who may be struggling with grief.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says it has been asked to assist with the death investigation.
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