An 8-year-old boy was crushed to death when a statue of a Guardian fell on him at a luxury hotel in Biltmore, Arizona, last week, authorities said.
The child was directly hit by a falling concrete doll outside the hotel around 9 a.m. on November 27th. The man suffered severe head injuries and died the next day at an area hospital, according to Phoenix police and local news reports.
Police officials called the boy's death a “tragic accident” and added that it was unclear why the statue fell, but there were no signs of criminal activity at this time.
The Maricopa County coroner said his primary cause of death was complications from blunt force trauma to the head. he told the Arizona Republic.
The identity of the young victim has not been released.
The toppled sculpture is one of 19 “Solemn Sprite” statues that are replicas of the work originally created by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and artist Alfonso Iannelli in 1914. Ta. A replica was given to the Arizona Biltmore in the 1980s. According to the hotel website.
The mythical “Guardian” statue is intended to “watch over the land where Biltmore rests,” the website says.
The hotel, which opened in 1929, said in a statement that the safety of its guests is its “top priority.”
“Our thoughts are with the families affected by today's events,” the statement said. According to KPNX.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation also expressed its heartbreak after the boy's death.
“The news of the loss of a child at Biltmore is truly heartbreaking,” Henry Hendricks, the foundation's chief marketing officer, said in a statement. According to the Arizona Republic.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic accident and extend our deepest sympathies to the family at this unimaginably difficult time.”
