YARMOUTH, N.S. — A small Nova Scotia town has come together in grief after a little girl was killed during the annual Santa Claus parade in Yarmouth last night.
What was supposed to be a fun holiday celebration turned to tragedy when the girl, aged four, fell underneath a moving parade float while running alongside it during the procession, police have said.
Condolences are pouring in on social media, with some encouraging Yarmouth residents to help support the girl’s grieving parents.
The incident hit home for Chellesey Lusk, a Yarmouth woman who lost her infant son to SIDS in January, who says she wants to pay it forward after the community helped her through her own grief.
Lusk and a friend have been asking residents to make donations to help the girl’s parents with her funeral costs as soon as arrangements are made with a local funeral home, likely next week.
Nova Scotia RCMP spokesman Cpl. Dal Hutchinson says the investigation is ongoing, and notes that officers are taking particular care due to the sensitive nature of the tragedy.