News from the USA
The pool at a Houston hotel where an 8-year-old girl was found dead after allegedly being sucked into a pipe was found with multiple violations after it was remodeled — and it didn’t meet federal laws intended to prevent drowning, according to reports.
The body of Alia Lynette Jaiko was found in the lazy river pool at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel about 1 p.m. after she was reported missing Saturday, officials said – with the girl’s family since filing a wrongful-death lawsuit for 1 million dollars for an “avoided” tragedy.
Aaliyah drowned and suffered from “mechanical asphyxiation,” KPRC 2 reported, citing the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office.
On Monday, inspectors ordered the pool closed after finding multiple violations, according to the news outlet.
“The operator failed to obtain a pre-opening inspection prior to placing the pool in service after reconstruction,” an investigator wrote in a three-page inspection report, according to the outlet.
It is not clear when the pool was reconstructed.
A Houston Health Department spokesperson told the outlet in an email that “a pool operator is required to submit plans to the Houston Planning Center for major structural and plumbing changes.
“The Department of Health is then notified to review the plans for compliance with the pool codes adopted by the city. The pool operator also needs a pre-opening inspection before putting the pool into service after reconstruction,” the representative added.
The report said the pool did not meet federal laws meant to prevent sewage entrapment and drowning, according to KPRC 2.
The pool operator reportedly failed to provide documentation to inspectors who requested proof of compliance with the Virginia Graham Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act.
Meanwhile, further violations were discovered on Tuesday.
The approved plans did not match the construction, including the river flow intake and return piping, according to the report. The river flow return piping did not have a return cover over the opening and the suction outlet cover was partially missing from the pipe where the search and recovery took place for each outlet.
Alia’s body was found after the pool was drained and the camera sent down a tube.
“We put the poles in there almost 20 feet and we saw her little hand and part of her body, so we got the fire department back there,” said Tim Miller, founder of Texas EquuSearch, who was called in to help try to find the child.
“[It] it appears right now that the pump was put in there and probably malfunctioned because the open pipe it ended up in was supposed to push water out,” he said.
“And right next to that pipe was another pipe that actually had a big plastic filter like a screen on the front that was supposed to suck water in,” Miller continued.
“So I know there was a speculation last night from someone who knows a lot and everything that the pump was wired wrong. So it was sucking instead of pushing,” he said.
“She was stuck in there so very, very tight/ I don’t think she decided, ‘I’m going to swim over here and see what’s here,'” Miller added.
Alia’s family has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the hotel and its parent companies, accusing them of gross negligence and seeking more than $1 million in damages.
“We’re looking for justice for Aaliyah because this could have been avoided,” the family’s attorney Richard Nava told ABC 7. “Everybody knows this could have been avoided.
“All evidence will point to this hotel (running) an establishment with many violations,” he added. “The pool wasn’t working.”
The suit follows Hilton, the DoubleTree’s parent company, and Unique Crowne Hospitality, the hotel’s local operator.
A Hilton spokesperson told ABC 7 in a statement, “Hilton extends our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones for the tragic loss of a young girl at the DoubleTree by Hilton Houston Brookhollow.
“This property is independently owned and operated by a third party. Hilton does not own, manage or control the day-to-day operations of the property and does not employ any of the property’s staff or its third-party operators,” the representative said.
The Post contacted law firm Trent & Taylor, which represents Unique Crowne Hospitality.
Meanwhile, Aaliyah’s mother, Daniela, was mourning the loss of her child.
“They say our fates are all marked… but I can’t understand why yours was like that,” she wrote. “Thank you, my love, for the eight years you gave me by your side. Thank you, my girl, for teaching me what love and a noble heart are.”