Teen electrocuted in TX hotel pool

A Houston teen was electrocuted while swimming in a hotel pool.

15-year-old Khaleel Marcos Reynolds was swimming at the North Villa Hotel and Banquet Hall in Houston, Texas, when he accidentally touched wires from an interior pool light.

The incident occurred on August 29, 2020.

According to Harris County Health officials, at some point someone had removed the pool light, exposing the wires.

When the teen swam up, he touched the exposed wire, which electrocuted him, causing him to drown.

First responders administered CPR at the location and the teen was transported to an area hospital, but attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.

According to Marilyn Christian, Harris County’s manager of environmental health programs, the pool had failed inspections multiple times and should not have been open. Christian, who runs the pool inspections and permits team, said the North Villa pool failed inspections three times since July 2018.

The North Villa pool was inspected in July 2018, December 2018, and the day after Reynolds was electrocuted.

After finding numerous violations in 2018, Harris County health officials would not issue a permit to open. The hotel reapplied for a permit to open the pool in December of that year but were again denied.

In Harris County, hotel, apartment and community pools must have a county permit to operate and those permits must be renewed every year.

“We closed the pool and told them that it had to remain closed until it fixed everything and we came back out to issue a permit,” Christian said.

Reynold’s family is angry and plans to hold the hotel accountable.

Reynold’s aunt, Teresa Aviles, said the family wants the hotel and pool to be shut down permanently.

“Their negligence cost my nephew his life,” Aviles said.