Earlier this month, what seemed like an eventful day had a devastating turning point and unfortunately resulted in a fatality. On July 20, a 14-year-old girl from Ohio drowned at the Land of Illusion’s Aqua Adventures Water Park. It had been over 30 minutes until Mykiara Jones was discovered.

Jones fell from one of the rides and quickly became submerged underwater. The lifeguard was unaware of the accident, and investigations show that underlying conditions contributed to this wrongful death. The water was more of a pond than a swimming pool, making it much harder to implement safety measures or save a drowning victim.

Both residential and community and commercial property owners with a body of water on the premises have a shared responsibility to ensure they have routine maintenance and safety rules in place should something go wrong. When they don’t, it puts visitors at risk of drowning or suffering from life-threatening injuries.

“This is a tragedy no parent should have to endure,” Sheriff Richard Jones said in a public statement. “These are the calls first responders dread and have difficulty dealing with.”

Water Park Accidents Are Personal Injury Accidents

It’s still unclear if Jones suffered from broken bones, spinal injuries, concussions, or other common waterpark injuries. Water park and waterslide damages often include slip and fall accidents and drowning incidents because of negligence. In this case, she may have died because of an inattentive lifeguard or water park employee. She may have also fallen because of a manufacturer defect. Her parents can hold the park accountable through a wrongful death lawsuit.

Studies show that children and teenagers under 18 years old are more susceptible to drowning. That means they require more supervision than an adult would. A wrongful death attorney would investigate the following parties responsible for this water park accident:

  • Waterpark owners
  • Waterpark employees
  • Lifeguards
  • Supervisors
  • City or municipal water parks
  • Third-parties
  • Waterslide engineers
  • Water park manufacturers

The loss of a loved one is difficult to endure alone. When it happens, our personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles will protect your best interests. You might want to seek justice for your loved one or quietly settle to heal in the aftermath. Contact our office for a free consultation at 323-999-3500 or email us at contact@gutierrez.legal.