KSDK reported tragic news late yesterday regarding a 4 year old boy found dead in a retention pond in Wood River, Illinois. Apparently, the little boy was swimming with three other kids, older than he, in a retention pond not intended for swimming. The pond was designed and built to alleviate flooding in Wood River, Illinois. Due to the increased amount of rain lately, a portion of the pond water was traveling faster than usual. The young boy went under the water and when he didn’t come back up, his friends went to get help.
Drowning tragedies like this typically can be prevented. If the City knew that this pond was attractive to people wanting to cool off in the hot weather, precautions should have been taken to prevent such an accident. Especially in the case of young children, the City has a duty to evaluate whether it knows children play in the pond or whether it is at least likely that they will. Barriers or at least warning signs could be posted to warn/prevent people from hurting themselves.
As St. Louis, Missouri injury attorneys, we handle dangerous property cases frequently. These cases are especially emotional and difficult when the life of a young child is lost.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a dangerous property, call us for free.