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Sixth-grader dies in flooded culvert

Additional counselors were brought in Friday morning to speak to students at Blennerhassett schools after a young girl died Thursday evening.

Eleven-year-old Harlee A. Becker of Washington, W.Va., was a sixth-grader at Blennerhassett Middle School. The West Virginia State Police Parkersburg detachment released a statement Friday saying the incident occurred at the intersection of Lake Washington Road and Park Drive in Washington.

Police received a 911 call around 8:30 p.m. Thursday saying a girl had been swept away by flood waters. Trooper T.K. Phillips responded to the scene, along with the Wood County Sheriff’s Office, Lubeck and Washington Bottom volunteer fire departments and Camden Clark Ambulance Service.

“Trooper Phillips learned that an 11-year-old girl had been playing in the water near a culvert drain pipe by the roadway,” according to the state police press release. “During the storm, she was swept into a culvert pipe and never came out on the other side. Multiple attempts were made to remove the juvenile from the pipe, however attempts were unsuccessful.”

Officials had to contact the West Virginia Department of Highways to help recover Becker, who was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the release.

Classes for Wood County Schools began Wednesday. Assistant Superintendent Mike Fling said four counselors from Blennerhassett feeder schools were brought in Friday morning to talk to students, and teachers were given information to share with students in order to dispel any rumors about Becker’s death.

“We did that so accurate and identical information would be distributed to students,” he said.

Fling said because Becker had just begun classes at the middle school, counselors also spoke to students in the elementary school where she had been a student.

“Counselors from Blennerhassett Elementary, Franklin, Lubeck and Gihon elementary schools are on site and preparing grief counseling for both sides of Blennerhassett School,” he said early Friday. “It’s a very sad situation.”

The West Virginia State Police is handling the investigation.

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