Global Courant
The parents of a 6-year-old girl who drowned at a Kansas City water park allege in a lawsuit that the park hires young, inexperienced lifeguards and doesn’t train them adequately
Kansas City, Mo. — The parents of a 6-year-old girl who drowned last year at a popular Kansas City water park allege in a lawsuit that the park repeatedly hires young, inexperienced lifeguards and does not adequately train them.
Therron and Debra Stewart of Grandview, Missouri, filed a lawsuit against Oceans of Fun and its parent company, Cedar Fair. Their daughter, Adeline Stewart, died in a Kansas City hospital days after being pulled from the Coconut Cove pool on July 5, 2022, The Kansas City Star reported.
A company spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Lawyers for the family say in the lawsuit that pool lifeguards failed to notice Adeline for several minutes, even as park visitors made “frantic efforts” to get their attention.
After she was removed from the pool, lifeguards were not equipped to give her first aid, the lawsuit said.
The Stewarts seek a jury trial.
After Adeline’s death, the water park made some changes to improve safety, including increasing height requirements for wearing life jackets in the pool and requiring children under 4 feet 10 inches to be accompanied by a accompanist.
