Police Search Pool—Suddenly, Missing Girl (3) Is Found Inside

Here's what it's all about

• Three-year-old Bella has been missing in Preetz, Germany, since Wednesday afternoon.
• On Thursday morning, the girl was found dead in the pool at her parents' house.
• According to their own statements, the police and fire department had previously searched the area several times.

Summary created with

The search for missing Bella has come to a tragic end. The three-year-old girl was found dead in the pool on her parents' property in Preetz, in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, at around 9:30 a.m. on Thursday.

The discovery raises questions. “We began searching for the autistic girl immediately after the missing person report was filed,” police spokeswoman Stephanie Lage told “Bild." The rear area of the property, where the pool is located, was also searched. Firefighters and police later searched that area several more times.

It remains unclear how the child was found in the pool the following morning. The police have not yet commented on possible scenarios and have launched a death investigation. Speculation about whether Bella later returned to the property or was brought there by someone has not been confirmed.

Dozens of residents searched for Bella

The girl had been missing since Wednesday afternoon. According to current information, she is believed to have left her parents' home through the front door and across the yard. Her trail was lost in the direction of a wooded area.

Dozens of emergency responders and up to 50 local residents searched the woods and along bodies of water for Bella late into the night. On Thursday morning, the police again asked the public to check their yards, garages, and sheds. Shortly afterward, the girl was found dead.