Mother & 3-Year-Old Die in Double Drowning at Galveston Roadway Inn

A mother and daughter drowned in a swimming pool at a Roadway Inn in Galveston early Wednesday morning.

The Galveston Police Department was dispatched to the scene at about 1:30 am upon receiving a call about a potential double drowning. Rescuers attempted to revive the victims, a 33-year-old woman and her 3-year-old daughter, and they were transported to UTMB Galveston. Tragically, both were pronounced dead at the hospital.

Local news reporters interviewed a hotel guest who tried to save the child before emergency crews arrived. The Good Samaritan was staying with her husband at the Roadway Inn in a room near the pool when they heard a commotion and someone calling for help. She and her husband sprang into action and found a man and a boy standing in the pool area.

The Good Samaritan, who is CPR certified, attempted to resuscitate the unconscious girl. That’s when she noticed that there was a woman still in the pool. The woman was pulled out as the Good Samaritan continued CPR on the child.

Much is unknown about this awful incident, including how long the mother and daughter were in the pool before they were discovered and why they were in the water in the first place. The Good Samaritan said neither were wearing bathing suits.

Investigators are looking into this tragedy and will interview witnesses and attempt to review surveillance footage, but when local news crews asked a person at the front desk of the Roadway Inn, they said there were no cameras pointing to the pool area.

This incident marks the first reported child drowning in Galveston County this year.

As Galveston personal injury attorneys, we at Arnold & Itkin are committed to improving pool safety across Texas to prevent incidents like these from occurring. We will continue to follow this story as more details emerge, and our hearts go out to the victims’ family.