A man, Reynard Tyrone Hough, aged 33, provided a weak explanation to the police regarding why he brought his daughter into a hot tub with him while under the influence of alcohol and drugs, resulting in the tragic drowning of the toddler during a holiday. Hough reported to detectives that in the early hours of Saturday, December 13, he entered the master bedroom of the Airbnb where his family was staying and found the child’s mother and another infant sleeping. Noticing that his one-year-old daughter was awake and wanting to be with him, Hough picked her up and took her to the hot tub outside, admitting to consuming alcohol and two different narcotics.
According to a statement in a probable cause arrest affidavit from Law & Crime, Hough, who resides in Washington D.C., claimed he fell asleep while holding the girl for about 20 minutes, waking up to realize something was wrong when he felt her become limp. Hough rushed back inside the property upon this realization, located on Nice Court, Kissimmee, Florida.
When the Osceola County Sheriff’s Deputies arrived at the scene following a call made by the child’s mother, they found the girl unresponsive and foaming at the mouth. She was swiftly transported to the hospital but unfortunately passed away about an hour later. Hough neglected to inform the child’s mother that they had been in the hot tub and that their daughter had drowned.
Hough is currently detained at Osceola County Jail without bond, facing charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect with great bodily harm. The case is presently under investigation.
Guidelines from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents state that children under five should not use hot tubs, emphasizing the importance of vigilance and keeping a close watch on children around hot tubs, which should have a secure, lockable cover. Hot tubs, though popular, come with risks, as evidenced by reported drowning incidents between 2014 and 2020. Caution is advised, especially when children or alcohol are involved.