A Texas family has filed a sweeping lawsuit after their 12-year-old daughter drowned during a scuba certification class, alleging the death was preventable and marked by repeated safety failures. The case centers on claims that the child remained alive underwater for several minutes without assistance before being found.
According to the lawsuit, Dylan Harrison attended a private open-water scuba class on Aug. 16, 2025, purchased by her parents from Scubatoys, a local dive shop. The training took place at The Scuba Ranch in Terrell, Texas. When the family arrived, they were told Dylan would be part of a group of seven students.
The lawsuit states that the divemaster reassured the parents beforehand, saying, “I will not take my eyes off your daughter.” Assistant Chief Deputy William Armstrong, who was working part-time as a scuba instructor, allegedly led the class after completing a full day as a deputy and an overnight security shift elsewhere.
As Dylan entered the water with another 12-year-old student, the lawsuit alleges Armstrong failed to check whether she was properly weighted. Dylan was last seen alive at 9:36 a.m. The class resurfaced at 10:12 a.m. following a miscommunication. Emergency services were reportedly not contacted for another 15 minutes.
The lawsuit claims evidence from Dylan’s air tank shows she was alive underwater for several minutes. “Based on the amount of air left in [Dylan’s] scuba tank… it can be surmised that [she] was alive and breathing off her tank for several minutes,” the filing states.
After the incident, Armstrong resigned from the Collin County Sheriff’s Office. The lawsuit also cites a 2017 video allegedly showing Scubatoys owner Joe Johnson dismissing safety concerns. “All I know is we’ve killed, what? 4 people? 5 people? And we’ve never even done a deposition,” Johnson said.
