The grieving parents of a 4-year-old autistic girl who drowned at a Florida Airbnb earlier this month are planning to sue the property rental giant for describing the home as “family friendly” — and have called on the homeowner to remove the listing.
Kennedi Ray, from Atlanta, was found at the bottom of a swimming pool at a property her parents were renting in northern Miami-Dade County on March 5, NBC Miami reported.
Her parents, who were asleep when their daughter went out to the backyard and fell into the pool, are calling on the homeowner to remove the listing from all rental sites and plan to file a lawsuit.
“I lost my child. I lost my 4-year-old. She only got four years here. We loved her so much. We miss her so much. I’m never gonna hear my child laugh again. I just wanna hug,” Ray’s mother, Adenah Francis, tearfully told a press conference held at the Airbnb property on Tuesday.
“I am a mother, and I wouldn’t want any of you to go through this,” Francis added, clutching a program from her daughter’s funeral, the Miami Herald reported.
The family’s attorney has claimed the property didn’t have the mandatory safety features required for pools at short-term rentals such as a safety barrier, safety cover, pool alarm, or a door latch — as stipulated by a Miami-Dade County ordinance.
“A child got access to the backyard. No alarm went off, no barriers were there, and we lost Kennedi,” attorney Adam Finkel with the Haggard Law Firm said at Tuesday’s press conference.
“How on earth can a house be advertised as family-friendly when it has a pool and none of the safety measures are effectively in place?” Finkel added.
Airbnb did not respond immediately to requests for comment, but previously issued a statement regarding the tragedy.
“The loss of a child is a tragedy and our hearts go out to the Ray family,” the company said.
“Airbnb has supported recent bipartisan efforts in the Florida state legislature to strengthen safety standards for all homes with pools. We also continue to work with partners on education campaigns and initiatives to promote water safety – including discounted pool fences for hosts and in-app safety tips for guests booking stays near water,” the statement concluded.
The listing has since been removed from Airbnb, but, as of Tuesday, remained active on other short-term rental sites, the Miami Herald reported.
