The family of an 11-year-old girl who was struck and killed by a Huntington Beach marine safety officer have filed suit against the city.
The accident occurred in July when 11-year-old Allyssa Squirrell was participating in a training
exercise known as a speed drop in which junior lifeguards drop into
the water off a moving rescue boat.
She was struck by propellers when
the boat circled around to pick up the swimmers, and she later died in
surgery. It was the first fatal accident since the Huntington Beach program began in 1964.
Lt. Greg Crow, who piloted the boat that hit her, had 32 years of experience.
The lawsuit filed in Orange County Superior court cites negligence on the part of the city’s marine safety department.
Hundreds
attended a memorial for the girl. "She was having the best summer as a
Huntington Beach junior lifeguard," the family wrote in a note on
display. "She adored the program, loved the
structure and would challenge herself daily to be the best she could
be."
–Shelby Grad
Photo: Family via KTLA