The parents of 12-year-old Dylan Harrison have sued after she drowned during a private scuba certification session on Aug. 16, 2025, alleging the death was preventable. The complaint says an instructor — who also worked as a Collin County deputy and had reportedly worked extended hours — failed to check Dylan’s weighting. Dylan was last seen at 9:36 a.m.; another student resurfaced at 10:12 a.m., and emergency responders were reportedly called about 15 minutes later. Plaintiffs say tank-air readings suggest Dylan may have been alive underwater for several minutes, and they point to a 2017 video allegedly showing dismissive statements about safety by the dive-shop owner.
Parents Sue After 12-Year-Old Drowns During Scuba Lesson; Lawsuit Says She May Have Been Alive Underwater for Minutes
12-year-old allegedly alive underwater for minutes before fatal scuba class failure: lawsuit
The parents of 12-year-old Dylan Harrison have filed a lawsuit alleging their daughter’s drowning during a private open-water scuba certification on Aug. 16, 2025, was preventable. The complaint names a local dive shop, the training site and individual instructors, and describes multiple alleged safety failures.
What the Lawsuit Alleges
The suit says Dylan’s parents purchased a private open-water class from Scubatoys and that, upon arrival at The Scuba Ranch near Terrell, Texas, they were told Dylan would be placed in a group of seven students. According to the complaint, the divemaster assured the family:
“I will not take my eyes off your daughter.”
The lawsuit identifies William Armstrong — an Assistant Chief Deputy with the Collin County Sheriff’s Office who worked part time as a scuba instructor — as the instructor on duty. It alleges Armstrong had worked a full day as a deputy followed by an overnight security shift before teaching the session, and that he did not verify Dylan’s weighting before the class entered the water.
12-year-old Dylan Harrison drowned while attending a private open water class in Terrell, Texas on Aug. 16, 2025, according to a lawsuit.(Fox News)
According to the filing, Dylan was last seen alive when the class first entered the water at 9:36 a.m. A student resurfaced after a miscommunication at 10:12 a.m., and emergency services were not reportedly called until about 15 minutes later. The complaint cites examination of Dylan’s scuba tank, saying the air levels indicate she had air at the surface before she disappeared and still had air when she was found — leading plaintiffs to allege she may have been alive and breathing from her tank for several minutes while alone in poor visibility and unable to reach the surface.
Allegations of Broader Safety Issues
The family’s 40-page complaint characterizes Dylan’s death as the product of "multiple failures" and claims longstanding safety concerns in the industry and at the dive operation. Attorneys for the family point to a 2017 staff-meeting video in which Scubatoys owner Joe Johnson allegedly made disparaging comments about the company’s safety protocols. In the cited clip, Johnson is quoted saying,
"All I know is we've killed, what? 4 people? 5 people? And we've never even done a deposition. Our insurance company just settles. John Witherspoon says we can kill two people a year and 'we are fine.'"
Following the incident, the lawsuit states Armstrong resigned from the Collin County Sheriff’s Office. The complaint names Scubatoys, The Scuba Ranch and other industry groups and seeks to hold parties accountable for alleged negligence. Representatives for Scubatoys, NAUI, PADI, The Scuba Ranch and the Harrison family’s attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and an attorney for Armstrong could not be located at the time of the reports cited in the complaint.
Note: These are allegations contained in a pending lawsuit. No determination of legal fault or liability has been made in court at this time.
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