A 7-year-old girl who died unexpectedly after a medical emergency on a Wayzata dock on Sunday was killed by carbon monoxide poisoning, family members said Monday.
Emergency crews were called to a dock on Wayzata Bay on Sunday night and found Sophia Baechler of Edina unresponsive.
First responders took Sophia to Hennepin County Medical Center, where she died.
"Sophia was an amazing little girl filled with overflowing kindness and love for others. She brought out the best in all those around her," her family said in a statement Monday night. "She will be forever remembered in our hearts."
It's unclear whether she had been on a boat or what exactly caused the carbon monoxide poisoning.
Carbon monoxide poisoning from a boat is fairly rare, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). In the past eight years, it has only happened twice, according to state data, both in 2013. That year, a 44-year-old Champlin man and a 35-year-old Long Lake man died while boating on Lake of the Woods from carbon monoxide poisoning from a faulty exhaust system on the boat.
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office is still investigating the case.
Sophia was a second-grader at Concord Elementary School in Edina. In a letter to the school's parents Monday, the principal confirmed her cause of death to dispel any rumors. The school district's crisis response team, including counselors and social workers, are on hand this week to help grieving young classmates.