The family of a toddler who drowned at the Kroger Aquatic Center in Huber Heights is suing the center, The Huber Heights YMCA and YMCA of Greater Dayton, the city of Huber Heights and The Kroger Company.
On July 4, 2012, Tyree Dukes, 3, was found floating in the pool inside the Huber Heights YMCA, at 8625 Brandt Pike. CPR was administered and the boy was rushed to Dayton Children's Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The coroner's office ruled the death as an accidental drowning.
The defendants in the lawsuit hired an independent consultant to investigate the incident, including the defendant's policies and procedures. Based on the investigation, the Kroger Aquatic center adopted new rules.
Among the new procedures, the center began requiring visitors to wear color colored wristbands so lifeguards could identify those who fatigue and inattention; lifeguard chairs were to be moved closer to the pool to provide better line of sight for better scanning and recognition of swimmers; and a crackdown on enforcement of its missing child policy to reunite the child with their parent and/or ask them to leave for the day.
The drowning was believed to be the first at a Dayton-area YMCA in at least 50 years, according to YMCA President and CEO Tim Helm.