Autumn Goodlander received a $15.5 million settlement in October 2025 after her 3-year-old son, Kai, drowned in a retention pond at their Florida apartment complex in January 2024. Attorneys said the pond was a 'dry detention pond' not meant to hold water and alleged it was not properly secured or maintained. Huntington Reserve Apartments and its manager, TPI Management Services, settled the claim and a fence was reportedly installed around the pond. Autumn is advocating for perimeter protections and better safety standards to prevent similar tragedies.
Mother Speaks Out After $15.5M Settlement Over 3-Year-Old Son’s Drowning at Apartment Pond
WKMG News 6 ClickOrlando/YouTubeAutumn Goodlander.
Autumn Goodlander has gone public after reaching a $15.5 million settlement tied to the January 2024 drowning of her 3-year-old son, Kai, in a retention pond at their Florida apartment complex.
According to local reports, Kai slipped out of the family home while Autumn's then-boyfriend was in another room folding laundry. The front door reportedly closed behind him, and the child was later found submerged in a body of water on the apartment grounds. Autumn, who was at work at the time, learned of the tragedy at the hospital when a doctor informed her there was nothing that could be done.
Allegations and Legal Action
Represented by The Haggard Law Firm, Autumn pursued a wrongful-death claim asserting the pond where Kai drowned was not intended to hold water. Attorneys described the site as a 'dry detention pond'—a manmade depression designed to temporarily collect and drain stormwater runoff—and said it had not been properly maintained or secured.
Getty Images/iStockphotoA police car (stock image).
There was no reason this tragedy should have occurred. Proper maintenance and adherence to safety standards could have saved Kai’s life, the law firm said in a news release.
Settlement and Safety Steps
Huntington Reserve Apartments and its management company, TPI Management Services, settled the claim with Autumn in October 2025 for $15.5 million, according to the law firm. The settlement notice did not make clear whether the defendants admitted or denied liability.
Local attorneys said a fence has since been installed around the pond as part of the resolution. Representatives for Huntington Reserve Apartments and TPI Management Services did not respond to requests for comment.
Advocacy and Wider Concerns
Autumn continues to speak publicly about Kai in hopes of prompting changes that would prevent similar tragedies. She has urged property owners and managers to install protective perimeters and properly maintain stormwater basins so young children cannot gain access.
The case raises broader questions about the safety of retention and detention ponds on residential properties and the responsibilities of property owners and managers to secure potentially hazardous features.
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