Brick wall kills 'sweet little girl'

Relatives weep as Deanna's body is taken from the scene. Photo / Rob Trathen

Desperate family members were unable to revive a 17-month-old girl who was crushed when a brick wall collapsed on her yesterday.

Deanna Jane Robertson was playing outside her aunt and uncle's house in Massey, West Auckland, when the wall gave way. Relatives rushed to free her from the bricks and performed CPR but could not revive her.

Her grandmother, Martina Cotter, said the family were devastated at the loss of their "sweet little girl".

Deanna had been with her 16-year-old cousin, Toni, looking at a tree beside the wall when the accident occurred at 11am. "It's just what she likes to do. There's a tree there and she likes to stand there and pick the bark off it," said Martina.

Her aunt and uncle, Louise and Shane Holloway, heard the wall collapse from inside the house. "It sounded like the crash of a car," Martina said. "That's what Louise thought it was, that a car had come off the road and hit her."

The couple rushed to her aid, bringing Deanna inside, where Shane began CPR as Louise took instructions over the phone from St John.

"Shane said he pretty much knew when he brought her in that it was an instant sort of thing, but they carried on."

Martina said there appeared to be no reason for the collapse. "The wall just gave way."

Family members hugged each other and sobbed in the driveway as Deanna's body was removed yesterday afternoon.

Louise had earlier picked up the toddler and taken her shopping for Easter eggs, Martina said. She described Deanna as "absolutely adorable, really just a cheerful, sweet little girl".

Parents Edwin and Sarah Robertson were expecting their second baby in a month.

"These are freak accidents, there's no one to blame, but there's a lot of guilt flying around here at the moment," Martina said.

St John team manager Keith Hall said the family were coached over the phone as they tried to resuscitate the girl. He said ambulance crew also worked on her "for some time at the scene, to no avail".

Police Senior Sergeant Ian Byrne said that the death appeared to have been the result of a "tragic accident". He said it was still being determined whether the girl had climbed on or pulled the wall.

Waitakere City Council officials had been called to investigate and an engineer had visited the scene.

Police said last night the wall was old and the mortar had become dry and brittle.