The brother of a five-year-old girl who died after becoming trapped in a car which plunged into an icy cold river sobbed as he watched her coffin arrive at church for her funeral.
Ryan Grady was one of more than 200 mourners who gathered to pay tribute to his sister Gabrielle, who died in hospital on Valentine's Day following the incident in Evesham, Worcestershire.
Six-year-old Ryan, who was also in the car when it entered the River Avon on February 11, broke down outside the Church of St Barnabas in Rainbow Hill, Worcester, when he saw his sister's white coffin, which was decorated with a pink butterfly design.
The youngster, dressed in a grey suit with a black shirt and a pink tie, clutched the hand of his mother Kim Wise, who paid tribute to her "beautiful angel" daughter. Ryan was pulled to safety by police officers at the scene but Gabrielle, known as Gabby to her family, spent almost two hours trapped in the submerged car and never recovered.
In a statement released by the Diocese of Worcester after the service, Gabrielle's mother said: "I would like to take a moment to say a personal thank you to everyone who has opened their hearts to my beautiful angel Gabrielle. Heart-felt thanks to the people of Evesham, all rescue services, police and hospital staff."
Speaking of the two police officers who jumped into the river and pulled Ryan to safety, she said: "A special thank you to my heroes Phil Stayte and Sean Kent for saving my little man." Inspector Sean Kent was present at the funeral.
Miss Wise, who wore a black suit with a bright pink top and scarf, added: "The biggest thank you goes to my family for being there for me."
The congregation, made up of close relatives and friends of the primary school pupil, all wore items of pink clothing at the request of Gabrielle's mother and sang the hymn All Things Bright And Beautiful. The men wore pink ties and two horses which pulled a carriage carrying Gabrielle's white coffin wore plumes of pink feathers.
Floral tributes included pink lilies and a wreath which spelled "sister". Inside the church, pink balloons were tied to the pew ends and a poem written by Gabrielle's six siblings was placed on the altar in a pink frame beside a single pink candle. The poem included the verse: "Look down on us from the heavens above, surrounded in true joy and love, we'll be together forever and never apart, for you, our sister, are always in our heart".
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The children's father, Christopher Grady, 41, of no fixed address, will appear at Birmingham Crown Court for a plea hearing on May 31 charged with one count of murder and one count of attempted murder.
