Young girl found dead in backyard

A 7-year-old girl was found hanging from play equipment in her backyard

Tuesday night. She was pronounced dead at an area hospital shortly after,

police said.

“At this point, it’s not a murder,” Huntington Beach Police Lt. Luis

Ochoa said.

The child was discovered unconscious by a sibling, Huntington Beach

Officer Craig Junginger said. She had been playing unattended in the

backyard of a home in the 2000 block of Florida Street, he said.

The child apparently hung herself accidentally by a nylon strap tied to

the play equipment, police said. An investigation into the accident

continued Wednesday, said Martha Werth, spokeswoman for the Huntington

Beach Fire Department.

“There are a hundred possibilities [that could explain the accident],”

she said.

At 4:50 p.m., police and fire officials arrived at the home and tried to

revive the girl by administering CPR, she said. She was taken to

Huntington Beach Hospital, but died shortly after, Junginger said.