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Relatives called 911 after the girls – ages 2 and 4 – went missing in Holtsville, at the Fairfield Townhouses on Victorian Court, around 3:15 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7.
A few minutes after arriving on the scene, officers located both girls unresponsive in a pond behind the townhomes, Suffolk County Police said.
They were taken to Stony Brook University Hospital, where doctors pronounced both of them dead.
Neighbors told CBS News York the girls’ family called 911 and frantically asked other residents for help searching after realizing the siblings had left their second-story unit.
"The mother was frantic looking for them, and the whole neighborhood came out. We were all looking for them," neighbor Marge Baldi told the outlet. “They have a gate, They have all the safety precautions. I've never seen the children left unattended."
Writing on a GoFundMe campaign, the family’s church identified the victims as 4-year-old Ruth Evangeline Gali and 2-year-old Selah Grace Gali.
“We cannot even imagine what Sudha & David are going through right now,” said the campaign organizer, who also noted that the girls’ father is stuck in India “due to visa issues.”
“We are working towards bringing Brother David back into the US with an emergency visa based on compassionate grounds. After David’s visa is sorted, the funeral arrangements will have to be made.”
As of Tuesday, Sept. 10, the GoFundMe had raised more than $118,000. Those who wish to donate can do so here.
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