The Xu family’s holiday trip to Orlando ended in heartbreak when six‑year‑old Mia Xu drowned in a hotel pool at the Crowne Plaza Orlando‑Lake Buena Vista (Lake Buena Vista) on December 27, 2024. After playing in the pool with her sister, Mia disappeared and was later found unresponsive on the pool floor. She passed away four days later due to a brain injury from drowning.
Attorneys representing the Xu family allege the hotel pool featured water‑slides, fountains, and other features that created dangerous circulation and an “invisible undertow”—conditions that can trap a child without obvious warning. The pool reportedly lacked a lifeguard at the time of the rescue, despite signage suggesting one should be present.
According to family attorney Michael Haggard, Esq., of The Haggard Law Firm, Florida law currently lacks requirements for lifeguards or specific regulation of water‑features like slides and waterfalls—gaps that, he argues, contributed to Mia’s death.
At a press conference held nearly a year after Mia’s death, her mother, Victoria Chen, called the tragedy preventable and said:
“This is not just a family tragedy, this is a failure of the system.”
Chen said she trusted the pool to be safe for families—but it wasn’t. She is now pressing for legislative changes to strengthen protections for children around hotel pools and other water‑features.
Safety advocates, including Michael Haggard, argue that Florida must adopt stricter regulations for pools with slide and waterfall features. Key reform proposals include:
Requiring lifeguards on duty at any pool with child‑sized water features or “ocean‑like” current effects.
Mandating clear signage, supervision protocols, and emergency systems (e.g., alarms, cameras) in hotel pools.
Establishing design standards for water features that do not create hidden hazards such as undertows, blind spots, or excessive turbulence.
Ensuring regular inspections and enforcement of safety codes in hospitality‑industry aquatic spaces.
The Mia Xu tragedy is a painful reminder that water dangers aren’t confined to backyard pools or large public facilities—they exist in hotel, resort and event‑based pools too. When design features, lack of supervision and regulatory gaps converge, the risk to children escalates.
Even a strong swimmer can be overcome by hazards like under‑currents, inadequate monitoring or delayed rescue. For parents and pool managers alike, vigilance and layered protection are critical.
At Aquatic Attorneys, we represent families impacted by drowning and near‑drowning incidents across the country. Led by Michael Haggard, Esq., of The Haggard Law Firm, our team investigates whether pool operators, hotels or property owners failed to meet safety obligations and whether legal accountability is possible.
In the Xu matter and countless others, our mission is two‑fold: seek justice for the grieving family and drive meaningful change so that other children are spared similar tragedies.
If your family has been affected by a drowning incident or pool‑related injury, we encourage you to contact us for a confidential and free consultation. You do not have to face this alone.
Source:
https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/mom-pleas-change-law-after-daughters-death-orlando-pool
