A three-year-old girl died after becoming trapped inside a wooden toy oven while her babysitter left their Florida home to visit a shop. Briella Holmes was found wedged inside the kitchen playset after the babysitter placed the children in the care of their spouse.
The youngster was discovered unresponsive and not breathing before being rushed to hospital in a critical condition, where she died four days later on July 27. A Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's report obtained by PEOPLE determined Briella's cause of death to be probable positional asphyxia – a condition that occurs when the position of a person's body interferes with their ability to breathe.
Details of the incident
Boynton Beach Police said Briella had become trapped while trying to retrieve toys that had fallen inside the playset. She had been at the babysitter's home in the Meadows of Boynton Beach area with her sibling when the incident unfolded.
Police said that while the babysitter was visiting a shop, the children had been placed in the care of their spouse, who remained upstairs while the youngsters played downstairs. They periodically checked on the children and gave them snacks, but during one check, they discovered Briella trapped in the wooden playset.
Rescue and investigation
The spouse freed her and immediately began attempting life-saving measures until first responders arrived, police said. Officers continued attempting to save the youngster before Boynton Beach Fire Rescue took her to the hospital.
Briella's sibling told detectives that toys had fallen into the play kitchen and she became stuck while attempting to get them. The medical examiner's report said she had been discovered wedged in a wooden play oven, and that the babysitter had left to visit a shop. The report determined that Briella died from probable positional asphyxia and ruled her death an accident.
Aftermath and family tribute
Emergency services were called shortly after 11am on July 23, and Briella died on July 27. Police later released a photograph of the wooden kitchen set involved. It had no markings identifying its brand, manufacturer or model. Investigators said it had been bought second-hand through Facebook Marketplace, with similar sets being advertised online under the name Country Living Kitchen.
Police said there were no further updates, but confirmed an investigation was ongoing. The department previously said: "This investigation remains active and ongoing. The Boynton Beach Police Department will not be making any additional statements at this time."
A GoFundMe page launched after Briella's death described the three-year-old as a bright light in the lives of so many. Her family said: "She had a kind heart, a beautiful spirit, and a smile that could light up any room. She touched countless lives with her love, laughter, and compassion, and the impact she made will never be forgotten. She will forever be loved, forever missed, and forever in our hearts."
