Southwest
12-year-old allegedly alive underwater for minutes before fatal scuba class failure: lawsuit
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The grieving parents of a Texas girl who drowned during a scuba certification class have filed a lawsuit against two agencies alleging the child’s death was preventable.
On Aug. 16, 2025, 12-year-old Dylan Harrison attended a private open water class purchased by her parents from Scubatoys, a local dive-shop, according to FOX 4.
When the family reportedly arrived at The Scuba Ranch, a scuba training lake located in nearby Terrell, they were told their daughter would be placed in a group of seven students.
The lawsuit also alleges the divemaster assured Dylan’s parents ahead of the class, telling them, “I will not take my eyes off your daughter.”
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12-year-old Dylan Harrison drowned while attending a private open water class in Terrell, Texas on Aug. 16, 2025, according to a lawsuit. (Dylan Harrison)
At the time of the class, Assistant Chief Deputy for the Collin County Sheriff’s Office William Armstrong was employed part-time as a scuba instructor, and had previously worked a full day as a deputy followed by a full overnight shift as a security officer at an investment firm, FOX 4 reported.
As Dylan and her 12-year-old swimming buddy entered the water, Armstrong allegedly did not check if Dylan was properly weighted, the lawsuit reportedly states.
Dylan was last seen alive when the class initially entered the water at 9:36 a.m. and resurfaced at 10:12 a.m. after a miscommunication with a student.
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Dylan Harrison died in a scuba diving accident while taking a class at the Scuba Ranch in Terrell, Texas on Aug. 16, 2025, according to a lawsuit. (Google Maps)
The lawsuit alleges that emergency services were not called to the scene until about 15 minutes later.
“Based on the amount of air left in [Dylan’s] scuba tank on the surface before she went missing and the amount of air left in the tank when she was found, it can be surmised that [she] was alive and breathing off her tank for several minutes after she was last seen,” the lawsuit revealed, according to FOX 4. “During this time, [Dylan] was alone, in poor visibility, and unable to reach the surface.”
Following the incident, Armstrong resigned from his position with the Collin County Sheriff’s Office.
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The private open water class was reportedly purchased from Scubatoys in Carrollton, Texas, according to the lawsuit. (Google Maps)
The 40-page lawsuit alleges Dylan’s death was preventable and the result of multiple failures after the industry turned a blind eye to safety concerns for several years.
Attorneys for the Harrison family reportedly point to a 2017 video of a staff meeting, in which Scubatoy owner Joe Johnson allegedly made dismissive comments about the safety protocols within the company’s classes, FOX 4 reported.
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“All I know is we’ve killed, what? 4 people? 5 people? And we’ve never even done a deposition,” Johnson said in the video. “Our insurance company just settles. John Witherspoon says we can kill two people a year and ‘we are fine.’”
Scubatoys, NAUI, PADI, the Scuba Ranch and the Harrison family’s attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital was unable to immediately locate an attorney representing Armstrong.
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A Chino Hills man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a violent incident at a local liquor store, authorities announced Tuesday.
The July 13 incident occurred around 5 p.m. in the 4000 block of Descanso Avenue, according to the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, which responded to reports of a stabbing at the location.
Arriving deputies found a stabbing victim inside the store and rendered medical aid until personnel with the Chino Valley Fire District arrived. The victim was transported to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, where he remains in stable condition.
While being treated at the scene, investigators said the victim repeatedly stated that someone named Alex was responsible for the attack.
The suspect, now identified as Hayden Alexander Marquez, 30, was located not far from the liquor store and taken into custody, sheriff’s officials said.
Investigators did not provide a motive for the stabbing or detail the relationship between the two men.
Marquez was booked into the West Valley Detention Center on suspicion of attempted murder.
Anyone with information about the investigation is urged to contact the Chino Hills Police Station at 909-364-2000. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the We-Tip hotline at 800-78-CRIME or submit tips online at www.wetip.com.
An early morning crash involving a big rig scattered cinder blocks across the northbound 101 Freeway, prompting a SigAlert in the San Fernando Valley Tuesday. The incident was reported around 4:10 a.m. when a big rig overturned on the freeway at Tampa Avenue. The crash occurred on a stretch of the northbound 101 that curves […]
The corporation that owns the Langham Huntington Pasadena has settled a civil lawsuit claiming the luxury hotel hiked room rates while more than 200,000 residents evacuated their homes during the pair of deadly and destructive wildfires that devastated the Los Angeles area in January of 2025. The lawsuit, filed by the Los Angeles County District […]
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