Lawyers representing the family of a girl who was suddenly sucked into a pool at a Houston, Texas, hotel and died have revealed painful new details about the tragic incident and filed charges on behalf of all parties responsible for the girl’s death. Then he said. her family.
On March 23, Aliyah Lynette Jayco, 8, was swimming in the lazy river at the DoubleTree by Hilton Houston Brookhollow when she suddenly disappeared around 4:50 p.m. Dragged into an unsafe 12-12 gap in the flow system. She was 16 inches wide, her family’s attorney Richard Nava told FOX News Digital.
The family initially did not know where she had gone, but after a frantic search, police and rescue teams arrived at the scene and determined that she had been pulled into a six-metre-long gap. According to a lawsuit filed by her family, her body was found trapped in a pipe from “malfunctioning pool equipment.”
Aliyah Lynette Jayco died on March 23 after being sucked into a hole in a hotel pool in Houston, Texas. (Dignity Monument, Google Maps)
It took first responders 12 hours to reach her body as they had to drain water and break down concrete around the gap. Houston police have not yet released an official cause of death.
Nava told FOX News Digital that Aliyah loved to swim, so her mother, Daniela Heiko, booked the family into a hotel for the night, and because they don’t have access to pools where they live, she stayed at the hotel’s swimming pool. He said that he made the lazy river available for use.
But Nava said the family did not intend to stay overnight and only paid for the room to use the swimming facility.
“They just wanted to come swim that day because it was a nice Saturday. She wasn’t even planning on staying there. It’s really bad,” said Nava of the Houston-based Nava Law Group. says. “It was just a family outing. There were no other pools available and the closest pool had a lazy river. It looked like a fun place, a family friendly place, but it wasn’t.” It’s a planned death trap. ”
Nava said Daniela is trying to overcome the unimaginable loss of her daughter. Her funeral was held on Thursday.
“She’s probably one of the strongest human beings I’ve ever gone through this process with, and it’s really scary. I don’t think the true effects of this tragedy have hit her yet,” Nava said. I mentioned Daniela. One of the most moving words she said to me was, “I have to imagine Aliya just being at her friend’s house, but for me it’s not real.” ”
“And you know Aliya has sisters too, so they’re all suffering,” Nava added.
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Ahead of Aliyah’s funeral, Daniela posted a message of condolence on Facebook, asking mourners to join the vigil.
“You left my beautiful daughter and I still don’t know how to let you go. This is a nightmare,” Daniela wrote.
“I would like to send her off with lots of love and surrounded by those she loved. My Ali was always a girl who was loved by many…I want to send her off in this life. I love you, my daughter…and I will love you in this life too.” Until we meet again. ”
The hotel is located approximately 18 miles northwest of downtown Houston and is operated by Unique Crowne Hospitality LLC, according to . be The lawsuit filed by Nava on behalf of the family seeks $1 million in wrongful death damages. Both Unique Crowne Hospitality LLC and Hilton Worldwide Holdings INC are named as defendants.
Nava said damages could end up being well over $1 million, but Texas law requires him to seek $1 million when filing a lawsuit.
Hilton has distanced itself from the incident, with a spokesperson telling FOX News Digital that Hilton does not own, manage or control the day-to-day operations of the property, and that Hilton does not own, manage or control the property’s staff or third-party operators. He stated that he did not employ anyone.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of a young girl at the DoubleTree by Hilton Houston Brook Hollow and extend our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones. This property has been independently and independently managed by a third party. owned and operated,” the spokesperson said.
Fox News Digital has not received a response from Unique Crowne Hospitality LLC.
According to the complaint, the young victim, Aliyah Lynette Jayco, was swimming in the lazy river at the DoubleTree by Hilton Houston Brook Hollow when she suddenly disappeared around 4:50 p.m. and was pulled into a pipe. It is said that (Google Maps)
Hilton’s response infuriated both Daniella and Nava. They are also furious that hotel staff did not allow them access to surveillance cameras to find out where she disappeared in the first place.
“She’s upset that Hilton is abdicating responsibility because it’s part of a franchise agreement. I know how those work,” Nava says. “But the reason we sued Hilton was because we wanted everyone to know that during our investigation, Hilton appeared to have safety issues. And if they just put their name on the hotel… , when is a certain level of service expected? If something bad happens, say it’s just a franchise… What criteria do you use when dealing with hotels? If we do, we need to change that.”
Nava lives near the hotel and said she knows him well. According to the exterior image on Google Maps, this hotel was known as the Grand His Tuscany Hotel until 2022.
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“We already know that hotel safety standards are terrible,” Nava said.
Navas said he also plans to file an amended petition with a temporary restraining order to allow the team access to the pool.
“It’s really terrible. It was completely avoidable. I’m actually very angry that this happened because I have two girls too and the jet was working properly. “No one wants to go into a lazy river these days unless they know they’re properly covered.” ”
Read the lawsuit below. App user: click here
Navas said the gap where Aliya was discovered was push water into a flowing pool To create a flow.
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be covered, but it needs to be 1000% checked for safety to make sure it’s not doing the opposite of what it’s supposed to do. The rest of the pool was probably okay. But that hole in particular was terrible, “a vacuum,” Nava said. “Unfortunately, I have represented other children who have died in incidents, but this incident was absolutely shocking to my sensibilities because this little girl’s little I had to see pictures of bodies crumpled inside pipes.”
“It was the pressure that pulled her in. Even if my mother had been there, or even if I had been there, even if it was my daughter, I don’t know if I could have avoided this tragedy. I don’t necessarily know if they had it.” “So I think it’s a high-power motor, probably 25 or 50 horsepower or more,” he added. “I’m still in shock.”
Houston police have not yet released an official cause of death in this tragic incident. (Houston Police Department)
