The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission confirms to KPRC 2 they’ve launched a federal investigation into the drowning death of Aliyah Jaico at DoubleTree by Hilton on Saturday.
The body of eight-year-old Aliyah was discovered wedged deep into a pool pipe at the DoubleTree by Hilton Houston Brookhollow, located at Northwest Freeway and Pinemont Drive, after being drained on Saturday evening by first responders.
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Investigators with the USCPSC were at the pool this week to determine if a product regulated by the agency may be connected to the death and if the pool complied with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act.
The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act is a law that aims to enhance the safety of swimming pools and spas. It requires the installation of certain safety measures, such as anti-entrapment drain covers, to prevent accidents and drownings. The act also mandates compliance with specific guidelines and standards to ensure the overall safety of pools and spas.
A recent inspection report by the City of Houston’s Health Department uncovered significant violations at a northwest Houston hotel lazy river pool, prompting the closure of the pool due to multiple violations. Subsequent inspections on Tuesday revealed additional violations.
The hotel’s lazy river pool was built in 2018, according to City of Houston records but the plans approved by the city lacked a major component: the system that made it function as a lazy river. The components of the lazy river system - the large pipe openings and the pumps - were not part of the approved construction plans and they had not been inspected before Jaico’s tragic death, Houston Health Department inspector Curtis Cagle said.
“We approved the construction plans but we didn’t approve all the items that were actually constructed on site,” Cagle told only KPRC 2 a day after he made the discovery.