Memorial fund set up for girl who died in backyard accident

Eron Ben-Yehuda

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- The city has established a memorial fund in honor of

the 7-year-old girl who died last week in a tragic backyard accident.

“It’s always sad when someone dies,” Mayor Dave Garofalo said. “But it’s

particularly tragic when a child dies.”

The death of Frances Guzman hit city officials especially hard because

her father, Bob, is a 16-year City Hall veteran who works as a concrete

finisher in the Public Works Department.

Family, friends and co-workers are still struggling with the tragedy,

said Don Noble, the city’s maintenance operations manager. He attended

Monday’s funeral at Sts. Simon and Jude Church.

“You go home and think, ‘God, what happened could happen to anybody’s

[child],”’ Huntington Beach Police Lt. Chuck Thomas said.

Frances was found unconscious by her 11-year-old brother in the backyard

of her family’s home in the 2000 block of Florida Street last Tuesday, he

said. She had been playing on a swing set and may have hung herself on a

strap tied to the play equipment, he said. There also was a clothes line

nearby, he said. When police and fire officials arrived, family and

neighbors were performing CPR on the girl, who was stretched out on the

ground. An investigation into the exact cause of death continues, he

said.

Donations to the Guzman Memorial Fund should be sent to P.O. Box 910,

Huntington Beach 92648.

“I would hope that as many of you as possible would make whatever small

contribution you possibly could,” Garofalo said at Monday’s City Council

meeting. “It would be greatly appreciated.”