The body of an eight-year-old girl -who went missing while swimming at a hotel pool – has been discovered wedged in a malfunctioning pipe.
Aliyah Jaico, 8, had been with her family when they visited the DoubleTree by Hilton in Texas over the weekend.
The young girl then decided to spend time in the “lazy river style” pool, News.com.au reports.
Despite being surrounded by loved ones, tragedy struck when Aliyah vanished while swimming, prompting a frantic search effort.
Initially reported missing, search teams were mobilized to scour the premises for any sign of the young girl. However, hopes were shattered as security footage revealed Aliyah had submerged underwater and failed to resurface.
After 13 hours, the girl’s body was found in a 1-foot-wide pipe. Credit: KTRK
After 13 agonizing hours, Aliyah’s lifeless body was discovered in a 30cm-wide pool tube, following the draining of the pool and the use of a camera to investigate the pipes, WIS10 reports.
Tim Miller – founder of Texas EquuSearch – described the grim discovery, stating, “We put them poles in there almost 20 feet, and we saw her little hand and part of her body, so we got the fire department back out there.”
The preliminary cause of Aliyah’s death, as determined by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Science, was listed as ‘drowning and mechanical asphyxia’, with indications pointing to a tragic accident, the Daily Mail reports.
The heartbreaking incident occurred at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Texas. Credit: ABC13
The faulty pump in the pool, suspected of malfunctioning due to an open pipe, is believed to have contributed to the harrowing ordeal.
Miller said that he does not believe Aliyah intentionally entered the pipe. “I don’t think she decided, ‘I am going to swim in here and see what’s here’,” he said. “Many of us had to wipe tears from our eyes. This is one of the saddest ones we’ve seen in a good while.”
Expressing her profound grief, Aliyah’s mother, Daniela Jaico, has taken to Facebook to share a poignant selfie taken at the pool, captioning it: “Our last photo.”
In a heartrending tribute written in Spanish, Daniela bid farewell to her beloved daughter, writing: “They say we all have our destiny marked… but I can’t understand why yours was like this.
“Thank you my love for the 8 years you gave me by your side. Thank you my girl for teaching me what love is and a noble heart.
“I still don’t accept that you won’t be here anymore, I don’t have to pretend. I hope to see you again one day and you’ll keep looking at me and you’ll get that big smile that was contagious with joy.
“You gave yourself to love always with your heart so noble. I will love you for all eternity. You are the most beautiful thing God has given me and after every battle we went through together we didn’t win this one.”
Credit: Facebook
As of this writing, an investigation is still underway. The pool has been closed.
Our thoughts go out to Aliyah’s family and loved ones at this tragic time.