• No Emergency Action Plan (EAP) was in place for the HOA pool. • Entertainment was prioritized over swim safety. • Lifeguards were not properly trained or qualified.
Michael's Story
On the evening of Saturday, August 26, 2017, six-year-old Michael and his seventy-three-year-old grandfather walked to the neighborhood Clubhouse so Michael could play in the new Splash Pad. There was no divider between the Splash Pad and the swimming pool. Michael, a weak swimmer, entered the shallow end of the swimming pool while an on-duty lifeguard watched. An Olympic-size pool with just 3 children and 2 adults in the water at the time. Michael ventured into deeper water and lost his footing. Michael's distress went unrecognized, and about 6-7 minutes passed before a nearby adult pulled him out of the water. The lead lifeguard froze, others performed resuscitation attempts incorrectly, and Michael never regained consciousness.
Through years of legal discovery, depositions, expert witness testimonies and court hearings, it became clear that Michael's death was preventable - and that his story was meant to be shared. The neighborhood's leadership team knew there were major issues at the pool that summer but chose not to address them until the next year. Allowing water safety standards to fall short created a chaotic atmosphere.
Michael's distress deserved recognition, rescue, and resuscitation. Out of this unimaginable loss, More About Standards was born.
More About Standards is not just about one little boy. It is about every child who deserves to come home safely from the pool. It is about transforming grief into action. It is about ensuring water safety standards truly matter. If sharing Michael's story saves even one child, then his life continues to make a difference.
