3 deaths at Discovery Cove pool since May
ORLANDO, Fla. - Three people, including a 13-year-old girl, have died since May after being found unresponsive in a Discovery Cove pool.
The three incidents date back to late May, when 13-year-old Anna Beaumont was pronounced dead at a local hospital after deputies found her unresponsive in a swimming pool, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. No additional details about Beaumont's death have been released.
Beaumont died May 29. She was found unresponsive in the pool the day prior.
On July 8, a 51-year-old man was transported to a local hospital after he was found unresponsive at a pool in Discovery Cove, deputies with the Orange County Sheriff's Office said at the time. The man was identified as Douglas Reid.
Reid's cause of death is pending an investigation from the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office.
Most recently on Aug. 31, Orange County deputies responded to Discovery Cove after a man in his 60s was found unresponsive in the theme park pool. The man, who has not yet been identified, was transported to a local hospital where he later died. No other details have been released about this incident at this time amid the ongoing investigation.
Regarding the two most recent deaths, Discovery Cove issued similar statements, where they said staff provided care to the guest and contacted Orange County Fire and Rescue.
"When emergency personnel arrived, they took over care and transported the guest to a nearby hospital. Our thoughts are with this family, and out of respect for their privacy, we won’t be commenting further," both statements said.
Discovery Cove, the all-inclusive day resort, offers guests the opportunity to swim with dolphins and snorkel with fish in the theme park's multiple pools, including Dolphin Lagoon, The Grand Reef and Freshwater Oasis, according to its website.
The park's website does not immediately disclose lifeguard information, but a previous video posted on YouTube in January 2023 shed some light on the Water Safety Team's role at Discovery Cove.
"At a day-to-day here, we want to prep the park for the guests, and then from there, it's all hands on deck as far as staffing the waterways, making sure that everyone is safe," a lifeguard named Blakeleigh said in the video. "We scan our water and we move on to different areas, and as guests need our help, we're going to step in and help them. If someone just needs a little assistance getting to the side, or maybe even if it's a more serious medical situation, we're always here for them."
Discovery Cove said on its website that it does provide U.S. Coast Guard Type III vests for adults and Type II vests for infants throughout the park.
FOX 35 has reached out to Discovery Cove for more information about its safety protocols.