Investigators found several problems with a Minneapolis golf club swimming pool where a 6-year-old girl suffered fatal injuries because of a drain's powerful suction, state health officials said Wednesday.
Abigail Taylor died last month at a Nebraska hospital after complications from a triple organ transplant surgery in December.
The child sat on an open drain in a wading pool and lost part of her intestinal tract to the drain’s powerful suction at the Minneapolis Golf Club.
A drain cover wasn't securely attached and improper fasteners had been used, the Minnesota Health Department said. on Wednesday. The drain may have had excessive suction because of a second suction line that may have been blocked, the department said. The department fined the club $10,000.
The drain was not visible because of cloudy pool water, investigators said.
The child's parents are suing the golf club and the pool equipment manufacturer.
The club has appealed the fine. The club's lawyer, Dan Haws, said the health department's investigation is incomplete.
Haws declined to be specific. The case is part of an annual Health Department look into incidents at swimming pools.
Investigators identified $70,000 in club violations, but state law caps fines at $10,000 for an incident, health department spokesman Doug Schultz said.