Houston – The little girl who died after getting stuck in a pool pipe at a Houston hotel over the weekend “loved to swim,” according to a wrongful death lawsuit filed late Monday by her family.
The medical examiner said her death was caused by drowning and mechanical asphyxiation.
Eight-year-old Aliyah Jaico’s body was found after first responders drained the pool Saturday night at the DoubleTree by Hilton Houston Brookhollow, located at 12801 Northwest Freeway. Now investigators are working to figure out how something like this could happen and who is responsible.
Jaico was swimming with other family members in a lazy river-style pool at the hotel when she somehow got stuck inside a large pipe that feeds into the pool. She was reported missing around 5:45 p.m. Saturday and her body was recovered around 6:30 Sunday morning.
The family has hired attorney Richard Nava who tells KPRC 2 that he has filed a wrongful death suit on behalf of Aliyah Jaico’s family.
The lawsuit names Unique Crown Hospitality LLC D/B/A DoubleTree by Hilton Houston Brookhollow and Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. as defendants. It had not been given a case number or assigned to a court as of late Monday.
The lawsuit alleges Jaico’s family tried to get hotel management to look at security camera video around 30 minutes after she disappeared, but management denied their request and said law enforcement had to be present to view the video surveillance.
Jaico’s family called 911 around 5:45 p.m. to report her missing and a search ensued where Texas EquuSearch and police were granted access to view the security footage.
“She was just nowhere to be found so it was saturated with officers who were looking for her,” said Texas EquuSearch Deputy Director Angelina Farris.
Farris said there was an initial thought that Jaico was abducted from the hotel and that’s how efforts were focused. But once investigators reviewed surveillance video, they discovered Jaico had gone under water and never emerged, according to the lawsuit.
“A team was then put together to drain the pool and video cameras were attached to 20-foot poles to inspect the pipes when her body was discovered wedged in the pipes of the malfunctioning pool equipment,” the lawsuit said.
The images came as a big surprise to those helping find Jaico.
“It was unimaginable and even when you’re looking at it, you’re just thinking, ‘surely that’s not what I’m seeing’,” Farris said.
Rescuers had to use heavy machinery to break through tile and dirt and eventually recovered Jaico’s body around 6:30 a.m., more than 12 hours after she disappeared.
The lawsuit alleges gross negligence on the part of the hotel which led to the death of Jaico.
The family is seeking over $1 million in damages, according to the lawsuit. A jury trial has also been requested.
“Hilton offers our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones in 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,” a Hilton spokesperson wrote in an email to KPRC 2.
The company referred other questions to lawyers for the hotel ownership group.
Unique Crown Hospitality also released a statement:
“Everyone at Unique Crowne Hospitality, which owns and operates the DoubleTree by Hilton Houston Brookhollow, is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of a young girl at our hotel on Saturday evening. We offer our sincere and deepest condolences to her family and loved ones at this difficult time. Our commitment to providing a safe and secure environment for our guests is paramount and we will continue to cooperate fully with all authorities investigating this incident. Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, we cannot provide further comment.”
Nava plans to hold a news conference Tuesday at 11 a.m.
We’ll carry that live on the KPRC 2 app, our website, and the KPRC 2+ streaming app.