The family of an 8-year-old girl who tragically drowned at a hotel in Houston, Texas, is seeking $1 million in damages. The girl, named Aliyah Jaico, died under heartbreaking circumstances while staying at the DoubleTree by Hilton Houston Brookhollow, managed by Hilton and Unique Crowne Hospitality.
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Aliyah’s mother, Daniela, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the hotel, and documents describe how the family’s visit, meant for leisure and swimming, turned fatal. Aliyah, described as a swimming enthusiast, was fatally pulled into an unsecured gap within the hotel’s lazy river pool system. The incident unfolded on a Saturday, with the lawsuit detailing how Aliyah vanished around 4:50 pm. In a panic, Daniela sought to review surveillance footage with the hotel’s management by 5:20 pm but was refused unless police were present, as reported by TOO FAB.
After reporting her daughter missing at 5:45 pm, law enforcement’s arrival eventually allowed the distressed mother to view the security tapes, revealing the devastating moment Aliyah was submerged and did not resurface. Efforts to locate Aliyah involved draining the pool and employing video cameras on long poles to examine the pipes, a task undertaken by Texas Equusearch alongside police and fire department personnel. The search ended 13 hours later when Aliyah’s body was found stuck in the pool’s faulty equipment.
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Tim Miller from Texas EquuSearch remarked on the dire situation, indicating that the pool’s pipe system was malfunctioning, drawing water instead of expelling it. Further inspections by the Houston Health Department uncovered multiple safety violations at the facility. In response to the tragic incident, Hilton extended its deepest sympathies to Aliyah’s family. He highlighted that the Houston Brookhollow property is independently owned and operated, with Hilton not directly overseeing its operations or staff.
“Hilton offers our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones for 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.”
Amidst this tragedy, Daniela took to Facebook to honor her daughter’s memory, expressing profound grief and confusion over Aliyah’s untimely demise. Through a translated message, she thanked Aliyah for the love and lessons of kindness she brought into her life, lamenting the loss and the battle they could not overcome together. Daniela’s tribute reflected a deep bond and a wish for a reunion, underscoring the irreplaceable joy Aliyah brought to her life.