Mother Of Girl, 5, Who Drowned At Tinley Park District Pool Gets $990K In Wrongful Death Suit Settlement

TINLEY PARK, IL — The mother who sued the Tinley Park-Park District after her 5-year-old daughter drowned at one of its pools will receive nearly $1 million in a settlement, court documents show.

Hazel Gonzalez, 5, was celebrating her graduation from a pre-kindergarten program at White Water Canyon Water Park, 8221 W. 171st St., on June 30, 2023, when she fatally drowned. Her mother, Megan Bagardo, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the park district in Cook County court in June 2024.

The $990,000 settlement includes $330,000 for attorney's fees, with $11,055 in court costs to be reimbursed. The remaining $648,944 will be distributed among Hazel's family, with her mother receiving $227,000, her father receiving $97,000, and the rest shared among her brother and eight half-siblings, both minor and adult, according to the settlement agreement. The agreement was entered into court record on Friday, Aug. 14.

Hazel was in the zero-depth kids playground and went down the water slide before being found unresponsive, the lawsuit stated. The suit alleged that lifeguards "recklessly failed to be attentive and free from distraction" in observing the play area. It also claimed the park district " failed to provide sufficient lifeguards such that all areas of the zero-depth pool, including all areas of the kids playground, were visible to a lifeguard."

According to a previous Patch report, paramedics were called just before 4 p.m. to White Water Canyon Water Park for a report of an unresponsive girl who was pulled from the water.

First responders found the 5-year-old in full cardiac arrest, Tinley Park Fire Chief Steve Klotz said. The child had been under the water for an unknown period of time, according to Klotz. Lifeguards attempted to revive the girl using CPR and an automated external defibrillator.

The child was not breathing when she was taken to Silver Cross Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead, Klotz said.

Filed by law firm Corboy and Demetrio, the suit also claimed that water park staff "recklessly failed to provide immediate assistance to Hazel Gonzalez when she was in distress in the water," allowed her to swim alone, and to use the swim area equipment "without arm’s-reach supervision" by staff.

The suit initially also named the Village of Tinley Park as a defendant, but the Village sought removal from the suit, stating it had been named erroneously. The Village stated that the Park District is its own legal entity, "levies its own taxes; manages, purchases and sells its own property; and controls all of its employees, including, but not limited to, hiring, firing, training, discipline and compensation.

"Said employees are not employees of the Village and the Village exercises no control over the management of Park District properties, which includes White Water Canyon Water Park."

The Village's request for removal was successful, and they were no longer listed as a defendant as the lawsuit moved forward.

Hazel is survived by her mother, a brother and three half-sisters, who "have suffered pecuniary losses as a result of her death, including but not limited to: loss of support, society, companionship, love, affection, protection ..." the suit states.

The Tinley Park-Park District issued a comment Sunday on the settlement.

"The Park District remains deeply saddened by this loss," a spokesperson said, "and we extend our sincerest sympathies to the family and everyone affected by this unfortunate tragedy."