Tragedy unfolds on beach as child’s beloved Elsa toy buried alive
R.I.P. Elsa: 1995-2015
-Search called off as authorities shrug shoulders, Dad promises to ‘buy another one, I guess’
By RYAN CLARK
Dad and writer
SOUTH HAVEN, Mich. – In what has marred an otherwise delightful Harbor Fest weekend (and yet another Clark family vacation) beloved child’s toy “Elsa” was buried alive, lost and is now assumed dead, Harbor authorities confirmed Friday.
“Apparently the young girl was playing with Elsa, building an ice castle home for the Frozen character out of sand, when she decided to bury Elsa, too,” said county sheriff Todd Tomboly. “Then, after a period of time the young girl returned to look for Elsa but could not find her.”
Even with the help of others digging on the beach, then with the aid of authorities and search dogs, Elsa’s whereabouts remained a mystery.
Elsa, 20, was the ruler of Arendelle, and sister to Anna, and her powers over ice and snow led Elsa to become the Snow Queen. She was known for her white hair and stubbornness.
Six-year-old Carrington Clark, owner of Elsa (and the last person to see the tiny queen) did not seem to care very much about the loss.
“We looked for a while,” Carrington told the press. “But then we decided we could just buy another one. Maybe some other girl will find her.”
As the afternoon wore on, a local preacher who joined the search finally lifted his hands to the sky and proclaimed that everyone should probably just “let her go.”
The tragedy shook this southeastern Michigan harbor town, mostly made up of tourists and shop owners this time of year.
But Ryan Clark, Carrington’s father, could still find time for a delicious, medium, fresh-squeezed Lemonade.
“They’re thirst-quenching, and they really help you beat the heat,” Clark says. “They fit any kind of event, from celebration to tragedy.”
A memorial will be held this afternoon at the beach. Flowers may be sent to the Baymont Inn in South Haven.
Elsa was preceded in death by her parents, who were both lost at sea. She leaves behind sister Anna, Kristoff and Olaf.