A man whose young daughter tragically drowned while on vacation provided law enforcement with a weak explanation for taking her into a hot tub, supposedly under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
Reynard Tyrone Hough, aged 33, informed investigators that during the early hours of Saturday, December 13, he found the child’s mother and another infant asleep in the master bedroom of the Airbnb where they were staying.
Claiming that his one-year-old daughter was awake and wanted to be with him, Hough stated that he carried her outside to the hot tub. He confessed to consuming alcohol and two different types of narcotics that night.
According to a document detailing the arrest warrant, Hough, hailing from Washington D.C., alleged that he fell asleep while holding the toddler for about 20 minutes, feeling her head drop upon waking, and realizing she was unresponsive. He promptly rushed back inside the property in Kissimmee, Florida.
Upon discovering the child in distress, Hough notified the mother, who contacted emergency services. Deputies arriving at the scene found the girl foaming at the mouth and unresponsive. Despite immediate medical attention, she passed away an hour later in the hospital.
Hough failed to provide a reasonable explanation for bringing his non-swimming daughter into a deep hot tub at approximately 3 a.m. in chilly 55-degree Fahrenheit weather, especially while feeling the effects of alcohol.
Currently detained without bond at Osceola County Jail, Hough faces charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect causing serious harm. The case is actively under investigation.
According to safety advice from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, children under five should not use hot tubs. Parents are urged to maintain close supervision and ensure hot tubs have secure, lockable covers to prevent accidents.
Hot tubs pose risks despite their popularity, with six reported drowning deaths related to home hot tubs between 2014 and 2020. Caution is advised, particularly when children or alcohol are involved.