SLP Community Struggling with Loss in Wake of Lilydale Park Tragedy

Less than 24 hours after a tragic fall involving four 4th graders from Peter Hobart Elementary School at Lilydale Park, the St. Louis Park community is struggling with the loss of one student and the fear that another one might be gone as well.

The elementary schoolers were on a fossil-finding field trip at the St. Paul park Wednesday, May 22, when some water-logged ground gave away underneath a group of four students. The gravel slide followed the students to the bottom of a a hole, burying several of them in the process.

Firefighters and police officers responding to the incident helped one child with minor injuries out of the hole, then used their hands and shovels to dig out another student who was buried up to her waist. 

Crews also observed a hand sticking out from beneath a pile of collapsed earth, Zaccard said. Rescuers were waist-deep in the hole for more than two hours, working to recover the third child, who died as a result of the collapse.

The fourth student still has not been recovered, as conditions in the rescue area made it dangerous at times for workers to continue searching. Crews had two trained dogs working to search the area late into the night Wednesday, but were forced to stop due to safety concerns.

The remaining 4th graders who had been on the field trip were returned to Peter Hobart Elementary School Wednesday afternoon to be reunited with their families, with grief counselors on hand both Wednesday and Thursday to speak with students, parents and staff members.

SLP Schools Superintendent Dr. Debra Bowers described it as "an incredibly sad time for our schools and our entire community."

"Our hearts go out to the families, friends and everyone touched by today’s accident," Bowers said in a statement. "The St. Louis Park Schools are providing support and resources to students, staff and families, and we will continue to do so as long as needed. We, like everyone else, want to understand how this tragedy occurred, but today we ask for your continued thoughts and prayers for everyone involved."

A memorial of orange balloons, flowers, ribbons, messages and teddy bears has already been erected outside of the elementary school. A second group of 4th graders were set to attend a field trip to the same park on Thursday, but has been canceled in the wake of Wednesday's tragedy.

The St. Louis Park community is rallying together, as the Peter Hobart PTAO President Andraya Thompson has announced all funds raised through the school's Family Fun Night on June 1 will go directly to the families impacted by the tragedy.

"There will no doubt be substantial expenses these families will incur and we are committed to assisting in any way possible," Thompson said. "We are asking our community to come together to donate items for silent auction and to attend the event on June 1st to allow our children to gather, for parents to show support and to raise money for these families."

Community members interested in making donations to the silent auction can drop them off at the school office, located at 6500 W. 26th St.

A group of high schoolers are also working to prepare an event to help impacted community students, the St. Louis Park Echo reports. The SLP High School newspaper says students are taking lessons learned from the recent deaths of 2012 senior Andrew Dudley and freshman Carly Christenson and working to create a "fun day" for Peter Hobart Students later this month. The Echo spoke with senior Morgan MacDonald, who has been spearheading the effort:

“I feel like we’ve gone through this with Carly’s death and Andrew’s passing, and I’ve learned that it helps a lot to have people there and things to do when stuff like this happens,” MacDonald said. “The ‘fun day’ would be kind of like a carnival to help get it off people’s minds.”

The event is expected to be held at the conclusion of the school day on Friday, May 31, at Dakota Park, conveniently located next to the elementary school.

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