ORANGE PARK, Fla. – Lawyers representing the family of a teen who drowned in a pool at an Orange Park Airbnb want to warn others about the dangers of pools at short-term vacation rentals.
This comes after they recently settled a $1.3 million wrongful death suit against the company.
Todd Michaels, an attorney whose law firm represented 16-year-old Cameron Brown’s family, described how they are doing.
“They’re doing as well as they can but they’ve gone through the worst loss that anyone can go through,” Michaels said.
The family declined to be interviewed Friday but spoke with us last year a few weeks after their son died after drowning in a pool at their Airbnb rental.
The 16-year-old was standing in what he thought was the shallow end, took a few steps and went under.
His mom said there were no life jackets or safety devices around the pool to pull him out, so she jumped in to save him, but was unsuccessful.
He was taken to the hospital and died on May 26, 2023 — a day his parents said they’ll never forget.
“We miss our son. We love him,” Marcus Brown, father of Cameron, said.
Cameron’s parents said there were no indicators around the pool saying where it sloped or how deep the pool was.
For that reason, the family decided to file a lawsuit.
“People who are renting their homes through Airbnb and Airbnb themselves need to start treating the safety of their guests with the same urgency as they treat making money off of their guests,” Michaels said.
According to Pool Safely, there are some steps Airbnb owners can take to protect their guests and prevent tragedies like this one.
- Make sure all pools and spas have compliant drain covers because hair, limbs, or bathing suits can get stuck in a drain or suction opening.
- Install safety devices like fences, barriers, and alarms around the pool.
- Have lifejackets available. According to Water Safety USA, inexperienced or non-swimmers should wear them in pools or open water situations when other layers of protection are limited.
Michaels said Cameron’s parents want people who book vacation rentals to be aware of potential risks and look out for homes that do not have protections in place. Because if not, more drownings can happen.
According to the Florida Department of Children and Families, last year 99 children died from drownings statewide. This year, there have been 34.
Michaels also said the family hopes the rental company makes some policy changes.
“The hope is that Airbnb understands that… they have an obligation to anyone who is renting that unit renting that home, to make it safe and to bring it into compliance with normal safety standards,” Michaels said.
News4JAX reached out to Airbnb asking about this case, and if they have changed any safety measures since the death. A spokesperson sent back a reply saying, “We cannot comment on litigation matters.”