South Carolina resort sued for 4-year-old’s drowning, the third death of a child there in three years
South Carolina resort sued for 4-year-old’s drowning, the third death of a child there in three years NBC News
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Tragedy Strikes at Crown Reef Beach Resort and Waterpark
It was supposed to be a fun getaway for Destiny Morgan and her children: a chance to glide down waterslides, float along the lazy river and enjoy what Morgan thought would be a safe, family-friendly vacation.
Instead, the 2021 trip to Crown Reef Beach Resort and Waterpark in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, abruptly turned to horror when Morgan’s youngest child, 4-year-old Demi Williams, drowned in one of the resort’s pools, which had no lifeguards attending to it and was poorly lit, according to a lawsuit filed last week.
Morgan said a nurse tried to help Demi once she was pulled from the water, and that the nurse said she detected a faint pulse. Other guests at the resort then scrambled to find a defibrillator on the property to resuscitate the little girl, Morgan added. But defibrillators, which may pose a risk of electrocution to rescuers when used on drowning victims, are not required by state law to be placed in swimming areas, and the resort guests could not find any.
Demi is at least the third child to have fatally drowned at the resort between 2018 and 2021, including a 5-year-old boy who drowned days after Demi, news reports and a previous lawsuit show.
Morgan’s Call for Change
Now, Morgan is hoping to change the resort’s safety protocols.
“Something has to be done,” Morgan said in her first interview since Demi died on April 1, 2021. “I have to do something in honor of my child to make sure that this never happens again.”
The Wrongful Death Lawsuit
The wrongful death lawsuit accuses Crown Reef of creating “unsafe, dangerous, or defective” conditions by failing to have a lifeguard on duty and failing to provide an adequate number of staff members to protect guests, among other allegations. It blames Demi’s death on Crown Reef’s “negligent, reckless, willful” actions.
Crown Reef’s general manager and an attorney for the resort did not respond to multiple emails and voicemails from NBC News. An employee who answered the phone at the resort said she did not have any comment.
The Tragic Incident
Morgan said she and her five children had driven from their home in Louisville, Kentucky, to the resort for the kids’ spring break in 2021. She described Demi as “the sweetest little girl” who was always happy and dancing, and said Demi loved to tell people how pretty they looked or give them other compliments.
The vacation started out well: Demi and her siblings had been having a great time, Morgan said, and Demi was especially fond of the resort’s lazy river, a water ride with a gentle current that guests could go tubing in. On their second evening there, after alternating between sharing a raft with her older brother and her older sister for trips down the lazy river, Demi asked her mom if she could ride in a raft by herself, Morgan said.
The lazy river was only 3 feet deep, according to the lawsuit. Morgan said she asked Demi, who only knew the basics of how to swim, to stand in the lazy river, and because her head was well above the water, she allowed Demi to ride in her own tube behind her sister while Morgan sat in a hot tub that the lazy river snaked around.
But when Demi’s sister got off the ride and Demi was not right behind her, Morgan grew concerned. As she frantically searched the grounds for her daughter, she said she saw another guest pull Demi out of one of the resort’s pools, not breathing. Neither she nor her other children know how Demi got there from the lazy river, but Morgan said she felt it was possible that Demi may have slipped and fallen in.
Multiple guests, including one who was a nurse, started chest compressions on Demi, Morgan said. Morgan said the nurse told her she could detect a pulse, barely, so Morgan and the nurse started yelling for an AED — an automated external defibrillator that delivers an electric shock to the heart to try to restore the heartbeat.
But no one could see an AED nearby, Morgan said, adding that she also could not find any resort staff members or a lifeguard to help her.
“There wasn’t anything that would indicate that they gave a damn about a human life,” she said.
An ambulance rushed Demi to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead that night.
Lack of Lifeguards and Safety Measures
Crown Reef is not required by state law to have lifeguards at its pools or lazy river, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, which oversees public swimming facilities in the state. Only waterslides are required to be manned by lifeguards; other water
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 3.2: By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age.
- SDG 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all.
- SDG 11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive, and accessible, green, and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons, and persons with disabilities.
- SDG 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Indicator for SDG 3.2: Number of deaths of children under 5 years of age per 1,000 live births.
- No specific indicators mentioned for SDG 9.1, SDG 11.7, and SDG 16.3.
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | Target 3.2: By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age. | Indicator: Number of deaths of children under 5 years of age per 1,000 live births. |
| SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure | Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all. | No specific indicators mentioned. |
| SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities | Target 11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive, and accessible, green, and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons, and persons with disabilities. | No specific indicators mentioned. |
| SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions | Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all. | No specific indicators mentioned. |
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Source: nbcnews.com
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