Tatiana Eiland-Clinton, San Mateo Toddler, Drowns In Nearby Lagoon (VIDEO)

Freak Accident Kills 'Happiest Little Girl'

Tatiana Eiland-Clinton just wanted to see the ducks play.

The three-year-old San Mateo girl, described by family members as "the happiest little girl you'd ever meet," drowned suddenly and tragically Saturday after wandering away from home and towards the lagoon near her house.

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According to the San Francisco Chronicle, authorities began searching for the toddler just minutes after she disappeared, but it was too late. Police and paramedics tried to revive her with CPR, but she was declared dead at the scene.

Neighbors have expressed an outpouring of support for the Eiland-Clinton family's loss, holding a candlelit vigil at the site of the accident. South San Francisco Patch reported that candles, flowers, and other commemorative items lay beside the lagoon Monday afternoon.

Though the little girl was autistic, her father said she was "extremely resourceful" and probably opened the gate to their backyard herself.

"My niece was very resourceful and very intelligent -- we had child locks all over the house, and still she was able to find a way out," aunt Shawntae Eiland told Mercury News.

Tatiana is survived by a fraternal twin brother, Deshawn.

The family is currently accepting contributions to pay for a funeral service. Make a donation at any Wells Fargo Bank branch to the Tatiana Eiland-Clinton Funeral Acct. No. 8048772191.

For more, take a look at NBC Bay Area's report below:

View more videos at: http://nbcbayarea.com.

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