5-year-old sucked down storm drain and found 100 yards away has died, FL cops say

A 5-year-old girl who was swept down a storm drain and found in a retention area 100 yards away has died, Florida authorities said.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office shared Aug. 28 that the agency received word from Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg that Zaria Miller had died after days in critical condition.

The child was playing outside in Sarasota at around 6 p.m. Aug. 24 when she was sucked down a storm drain during a water main break, McClatchy News previously reported.

Flooding from the area’s recent rainfall combined with the water main break created a current that pulled the girl down the drain and carried her 100 yards away, deputies said.

She was found in a wooded retention area across the street from Sarasota Christian Academy and rushed to a hospital, according to the sheriff’s office.

According to a GoFundMe that also shared the news of her death, the girl was playing with her brothers when the incident happened.

This story was originally published August 28, 2025 at 6:32 PM with the headline "5-year-old sucked down storm drain and found 100 yards away has died, FL cops say."