Grandmother, Granddaughter, 4, Found Dead In Miramar Lake

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A Miramar family is mourning the loss of a woman and her four year old granddaughter who drown over the weekend.

The bodies of Laura Fleming, 59, and her granddaughter Leila were pulled from the small lake behind the woman's home late Sunday night.

Now Fleming's family members lean on each other for support during this tragic time that none say they will forget.

"She was adorable," said Leila's cousin Lourdes, "She liked to play, she was a little shy. But when you really broke into her shell she was an adorable, sweet girl.

Lourdes said her family is moving forward minute by minute any way they can.

"They're depressed. They're grieving. Everyone's just being hysterical but they're all trying to stay strong at the same time," said Lourdes.

CLICK HERE to watch MaryAnn Martinez's report

Lourdes can't believe they lost Leila but Fleming as well.

"She was amazing. As a person she was great, she made everyone feel better about themselves," said Lourdes.

Fleming and her granddaughter went to feed the ducks around 9 p.m. That was the last time their family saw them alive.

"They fed the ducks and Leila, I guess, she tripped over the edge. And Laura tried to save her but Laura doesn't know how to swim. So she died, trying to save her," said Lourdes.

Andy Castaneda lives across the lake and heard the family members screaming, when they realized the pair was missing.

"We saw a person coming out, basically dead, and they were still underneath trying to find where the baby was at," said Castaneda.

Fleming's neighbors said one of the biggest challenges in trying to find the pair was the darkness. They say the lake was pitch black. So dark in fact that they took it upon themselves to pull out their emergency lighting to try to light it up.

Castaneda said the streetlight right next to the spot where the pair drowned has been out for eight months. He said his family complained to the homeowners association but it was never repaired.

CBS4 reached out to the homeowners association regarding the concerns about that streetlight and have not heard back.
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