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NEED TO KNOW
- Dylan Harrison, 12, was participating in a Scuba Toys course on Aug. 16, per reports
- During the dive, she tragically died, and her body was found around 42 feet underwater at the training site, The Scuba Ranch in Terrell, Texas
- Since her death, The Scuba Ranch said it has “permanently suspended” the instructor and suspended Scuba Toys from teaching courses at its lake
A scuba instructor is “permanently suspended” after a 12-year-old student died during a training course.
Dylan Harrison, 12, died while she was participating in a Scuba Toys class at the unaffiliated Scuba Ranch in Terrell, Texas, on Aug. 16, according to reports. Dylan was in the course so she could scuba dive with her father and grandfather, per the Rockwell County Herald-Banner.
On the date of the incident, Dylan and her classmates were on a training platform about 16 feet below the surface. Following a miscommunication, the instructor brought the students back up before letting them down on the platform again. However, when the students reached the platform the second time, Dylan had vanished.
Her body was found 42 feet underwater by a separate dive team.
The Scuba Ranch addressed the incident in a statement on Oct. 17.
The facility said that although dive instructors are independent, it requires “that all instructors using our facilities follow recognized scuba safety standards outlined by their credentialing agency, as well as professional judgment, to train students safely.”
The Scuba Ranch said that “immediately” after Dylan’s death, it “permanently suspended the instructor from teaching at our facility.” Additionally, Scuba Toys, the dive shop, is “suspended from training pending the results of this investigation.”
“This tragedy has deeply affected the entire dive community, and we will continue to support those impacted as best we can,” the statement continued, before noting it is cooperating with the investigation.
PEOPLE reached out to Scuba Toys for additional information on Tuesday, Oct. 21.
Dylan’s family is now seeking answers about her final moments, per Fox 4. Their attorney said law enforcement did not collect evidence from one of the dive computers, one of which is now missing.
Her family expressed concern that Dylan was paired with another 12-year-old, and not an expert diver as they thought, Rockwall Herald Banner reported. The lake also had low visibility, making it difficult for instructors to safely see students.
The Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office said there is confirmed an “open criminal investigation,” Fox 4 reported. PEOPLE reached out to the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office for comment.
