Zaria Miller: Florida girl dies after sudden surge of water sweeps her down a storm drain

The harrowing final moments of a five-year-old girl swept into a storm drain in Florida have been captured in gut-wrenching 911 calls, as her family grieved the tragedy that ended with her death in the hospital days later.

In Sarasota, young Zaria Miller was playing with her brothers near a culvert while her grandmother looked on.

Around 6.30pm, heavy rain and a water main break created a sudden surge of water, turning the drain into a deadly current that pulled the child underground.

Her grandmother, frantic and sobbing, dialled 911.

“She got sucked into the culvert,” she cried, said The Sun.

“There’s a water line flowing right out here … We were letting the kids play, and she got sucked underneath into the culvert.”

Struggling to breathe as she wept, the woman begged for help while telling the dispatcher her granddaughter was trapped beneath the road. At one point, she shouted: “God, why did we let her swim in there?”

A passerby who witnessed the chaos also called authorities.

Children can be heard screaming and crying in the background of the second call before dispatchers confirmed both calls were for the same incident.

By the time emergency crews arrived, Zaria had been carried about 100 yards through the drainage system.

Firefighters lifted storm grates, pulled her from the water and immediately began CPR.

She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition but died on Thursday, four days after the accident.

Her parents confirmed the heartbreaking news in a Facebook post, thanking first responders for recovering their daughter and the community for its support.

A GoFundMe campaign has since been launched to help with medical costs, bills and funeral expenses.

“It is with a broken heart I have to share that Zaria has received the ultimate healing, and is in the arms of Jesus,” the fundraiser organiser wrote.

“The family is grateful for all the love and support shown over the past few days.”