Christmas Day tragedy as girl, 2, dies after falling into garden pond

The toddler, named Isobel, was found in the garden pond just moments after wandering away from family celebrationsBenedict Tetzlaff-Deas News Reporter and Lee Grimsditch Nostalgia Writer

09:34, 29 Dec 2025

A family of three, consisting of two adults and a child, are seated together in a stadium. The adults are wearing glasses and are smiling, while the child is holding a small object and also smiling. The background shows a blurred view of other spectators in the stadium. sobel (centre) with mum Tamara and dad Aaron(Image: GoFundMe/Abigail Maxwell)

A two year old girl has tragically lost her life after falling into a garden pond on Christmas Day.

The young girl, named Isobel, was discovered in the pond shortly after she had wandered away from family festivities at their home in Doncaster.

Despite attempts by Isobel’s family to perform CPR until paramedics arrived, the toddler was sadly pronounced dead in hospital a short while later.

In a heartfelt tribute on a GoFundMe page, her aunt Abigail described Isobel as the “happiest, smiliest, most adventurous and curious little girl”, adding: “She lit up the lives of everyone. Our darling angel girl.”

The family realised Isobel was missing when she briefly disappeared while playing indoors with her toys. A search led them outside where they found that she had ventured into the garden alone and fallen into the pond, reports the Mirror.

The pond, a temporary feature in the garden following the family’s recent move into the property, was surrounded by a fence.

An infant is standing against a white wall, holding a plush toy in both hands. The baby has a serious expression and is dressed in a pale yellow outfit with ruffled sleeves. Isobel, from Doncaster, who died after falling into a pond on Christmas Day(Image: GoFundMe/Abigail Maxwell)

Describing how the tragedy unfolded, Abigail wrote on the GoFundMe page: “Our girls, two best friends, were surrounded by everyone playing with their new toys between the living room, kitchen and playroom… we couldn’t find her for a moment and in that moment, she’s gone in the garden and fell in the pond.

“A pond that was not there through choice but due to a house move, their forever home which they were renovating. A pond that had a temporary fence around it, in a garden she would never have accessed by herself.”

Today, mum Tamara said in an emotional tribute on social media that her daughter “lived more in her two years than some children did in a lifetime” and thanked the local community for their support.

Two individuals wearing glasses are posing for a photograph with a child on one of their shoulders, all of them smiling in a garden setting. The toddler’s family described her as the ‘happiest, smiliest, most adventurous & curious little girl’ (Image: GoFundMe/Abigail Maxwell)

The family have now set up a fundraiser to pay towards funeral costs and support Isobel’s mum, Tamara, who is pregnant.

Abigail wrote: “I just really want to do everything I can to take any pressure off for them with regards to funeral costs, counselling, being out of work etc.

“Tamara is 25 weeks pregnant and they need all the emotional and psychological support following this tragedy, not to be on a waitlist, so they have the strength for Isobel’s baby brother.

“They also do not need the financial burden of her having to start work whilst grieving with a newborn baby.”

Isobel’s family are also looking to set up a memorial fairy garden, which Abigail said would be a “a special place where her magical personality can be remembered and her spirit live on”.