Zendt on drowning death of toddler at Moody Gardens: 'This is a situation that is difficult for anyone to process'

Moody Gardens President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) John Zendt called the fatal drowning of 4-year-old Asher Rayburn in a swimming pool at the Moody Gardens Hotel at the beginning of the Fourth of July weekend “a situation that is difficult for anyone to process,” per a press release that was issued by the Galveston-based nonprofit organization.

"We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred Saturday evening at our hotel,” Zendt said in the release, Houston CBS affiliate KHOU reported. “As a parent and grandparent, my heart breaks for this family.

“We urge everyone to keep this family in their closest prayers,” he said.

KHOU reported that the Galveston Police Department (GPD) confirmed the identity of the child, who was visiting the island with his family from the city of Paris in Northeast Texas. Per KHOU, Rayburn was found in the hotel pool at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Saturday and those who discovered him attempted to revive him before first responders arrived. The station reported that the boy was transported to the nearby University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) where he was initially listed in critical condition. GPD said that Rayburn died on Sunday.

According to a report from Houston ABC affiliate KTRK, Rayburn and his parents were guests at the Moody Gardens Hotel. Galveston police lamented the loss of the toddler in a statement of their own, offering condolences to his friends and family, KTRK reported. KHOU and KTRK reported that authorities are investigating the incident.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on its website that drowning is the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 1-4 while it’s the second leading cause of death for children ages 5-14 behind motor vehicle crashes. Citing the Texas Department of Family & Protective Services (TDFPS), Colin’s Hope, a nonprofit organization in Austin, said at least 76 fatal child drownings occurred in 2022, with nearly half the figure reported for this year so far.