Police in Florida say a 1-year-old girl, Azariah Hough, drowned after her father fell asleep while holding her in a hot tub. The incident happened around 3:30 a.m. on December 13 at an Airbnb in Kissimmee, near Orlando.
Investigators say Reynard Tyrone Hough, 33, held Azariah in the water and nodded off for about 15–20 minutes. He woke up and found her unresponsive. He pulled her out and tried CPR while her mother called for help. Paramedics took the child to a hospital. Doctors pronounced her dead around 4:30 a.m.
Police say Hough told them he drank alcohol that night. He also said he took two narcotics before getting into the hot tub. Detectives say the substances likely contributed to him falling asleep.
Authorities charged Hough with:
- child neglect with great bodily harm
- manslaughter by aggravated abuse of a child
A judge set a $15,000 bond for the neglect charge. The court did not grant bond for the other charge. Detectives continue to investigate.
Officials also warned that water can turn dangerous fast for small children. A GoFundMe page aims to help the child’s mother with expenses.
