Kingsley tragedy: Heartache as Annabel Mackey, 2, found floating in pond yards from home as woman arrested on ‘murder’
A RESCUER screamed “help me, help me” as they tried to save a two-year-old girl found floating in a pond yards from her home.
Annabel Mackey was tragically discovered “unresponsive” in the water minutes after she was reported missing on Sunday.
Cops had been called to the tot's house in Forge Road, Kingsley, near Bordon in Hampshire, at around 5.02pm that day.
An urgent hunt to find the little girl was then launched.
She was found in Kingsley Pond soon after - just 200m from her home.
Flowers were left with one tribute reading: “RIP little angel xx.”
READ MORE ON THE TRAGEDY
Another called her a “sweet girl”.
Two officers yesterday stood guard outside the semi-detached home where Annabel lived with her parents — named as Peter and Alice.
Police were called at 5pm after reports Annabel had disappeared and began an urgent search.
One villager said they heard an adult voice at the pond at around the time of the tragedy shouting: “Help me, help me.”
Most read in The Sun
They said the tot was wrapped in blankets, put into the back of an ambulance and rushed to hospital.
Medics did everything they could to save Annabel — but she died on Monday.
The cause of her death is not yet known.
A family friend said: “We’re really upset. Annabel was very, very quiet.
“Whenever we saw her in the village, she gave us little smiles. She was a sweet little girl — very, very quiet and shy. Timid I’d say.”
And a local told The Sun: “The first we knew of it was when the police car pulled up. Within 20 minutes, the place was flooded.
“The whole place was cordoned off and we were asked by CID if we had any footage on our camera — which we do.
“But there was nothing on there. We can’t see the little one. It’s absolutely terrible.
“We’ve met her. At Halloween, we get a lot of decorations around the house for our little one and she used to come in and look. She was gorgeous — a beautiful little girl."
Charmayne Dennard visited the pond to lay flowers.
Throwing sunflowers into the water she said: "It's just so heartbreaking, I had to come and pay my respects.
"That poor, poor little girl. You can't imagine the pain her family must be going through.
"The unknown is so scary, It's frightening to think of what happened."
Witnesses told they arrived home to see the area cordoned off and the youngster "floating" in the water.
One resident said: “Everyone is just hoping for the best but it’s very strange.
"There are houses that back onto the pond and the common but the terrain is thick and it would be difficult for a toddler to make it that far.”
A woman in her 40s has since been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody, Hampshire police said last night.
Cops urged any witnesses to come forward.
The force said: “Officers are appealing for information following the death of a child who was found unresponsive at Kingsley Pond.
“Police were called at 5.02pm on Sunday, September 10, to a report of a two-year-old girl who had gone missing from her home on Forge Road, Kingsley, Bordon.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
“She was found a short time later in Kingsley Pond.”
Anyone with information can call 101, quoting number 44230369036.
