‘My beautiful little girl died because of my stupidity’
Tot is pulled from freezing river
A HEARTBROKEN mum who left her two-year-old alone in a car that rolled into a freezing river yesterday blamed herself for her daughter’s death.
Kiara Moore, who was days from her third birthday, died when the Mini slid down a slipway after her mum left her to get cash.
Kim Rowlands, 25, and Kiara’s dad, Jet Moore, initially thought the car had been stolen. It vanished from outside Jet’s office in Cardigan, West Wales, on Monday afternoon. They later discovered it had slid down a slope – used for kayaks to enter the water– into the River Teifi just 150ft away.
Kim last night wrote on Facebook: “Sadly, my beautiful baby girl passed away. Due to my own stupidity. I will have to live with the guilt for the rest of my life. Mummy loves you baby girl and I’m so sorry.”
Kim had left Kiara in the Mini and popped into partner Jet Moore’s office to pick up cash, after sitting on her bank card and breaking it. When she returned, the vehicle had vanished.
Kim and Jet, 40, called the police, believing the vehicle has been stolen. But two hours later, officers found the car floating about 100 yards downriver, with Kiara inside. She was flown by air ambulance to hospital 100 miles away in Cardiff, but doctors could not save her.
Yesterday, Jet explained: “They got in the car to go home. [Kim] went back to the office to get money and came back to no car. Looked in the river – no signs. So we thought she [Kiara] and the car had been taken.
“The police found the car a while later and went way beyond the call of duty, jumping in and pulling her out. They tried to revive her for hours, but unfortunately could not.
“Thank you all so much for the support. She was an incredible, happy young girl who lived, I hope, a great, adventurous, fun life.”
Police have recovered the Mini and will investigate if its electronic button brake was activated before it rolled into the river.
Dyfed-Powys Police said: “We are not looking for anyone else in connection with the investigation. Her Majesty’s Coroner has been advised. Kiara’s family are being supported by specially trained officers.”