Cause of death revealed for toddler whose head was stuck in kitchen play set

A tragic accident has claimed the life of a three-year-old Florida girl, Briella Holmes, who died from "probable positional asphyxia" after becoming trapped in a kitchen play set. Officials confirmed the cause of death following a report from the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The incident occurred on July 23 at a babysitter's home in Boynton Beach. Police were dispatched after the child was found unresponsive and not breathing. Emergency services arrived promptly, initiating life-saving measures and transporting the toddler to St. Mary’s Medical Center, where she was later diagnosed with an anoxic brain injury.

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probable positional asphyxia

According to the medical examiner's report, the child's death was attributed to positional asphyxia, a condition where the body's position obstructs breathing. This most commonly affects infants unable to reposition themselves. The injury reportedly happened when Holmes became wedged in a wooden play oven while attempting to retrieve toys.

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the decedent was reportedly wedged in a wooden play oven.

Boynton Beach police stated that the child was with her sibling at the babysitter's house. The babysitter had left the children in the care of their spouse, who was upstairs and periodically checking on them. The spouse discovered the toddler with her head stuck in the play set, removed her, and began performing CPR until first responders arrived.

The medical examiner found no signs of trauma or suspicious circumstances surrounding the death, officially listing the manner of death as an "accident." The child was declared brain dead on July 27, four days after the initial discovery.

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unresponsive and not breathing