The parents of 12-year-old Dylan Harrison have filed a sweeping lawsuit that takes direct aim at two major scuba-certification agencies, accusing them of systemic safety failures after their daughter drowned during a North Texas certification class. The civil complaint, filed Monday, comes as a criminal investigation remains open and renews hard questions about how evidence was handled and what instructors did in the crucial minutes after Dylan disappeared. Her family says the death was preventable and that the training agencies have a duty to require tougher safeguards for children in the water.
Parents file suit
According to FOX 4, the Harrison family’s lawsuit names two major training organizations and alleges they failed to set or enforce basic standards that would have kept Dylan safe. Yesterday's report notes that the complaint outlines alleged lapses in supervision and safety planning, and includes comments from the family’s attorney.
Where and how Dylan died
X-Ray Mag reports that Dylan was taking the open-water portion of her scuba certification on Aug. 16, 2025, at The Scuba Ranch in Terrell. The class, run by Scuba Toys, included eight students, an instructor, and a divemaster. Witnesses reported that the group descended to a training platform, resurfaced, and then descended again. A headcount after that second descent showed that Dylan was missing. An independent dive team that happened to be training at the site later found her body about 13 meters down.
Missing dive-computer data and lawyers' concerns
Industry investigators and the Harrison family’s lawyer say key dive-computer data from the incident was never collected or analyzed, and that one professional computer has since been reported missing. Divernet reports that attorney David Concannon, who is representing the family pro bono, has repeatedly urged authorities to secure the dive logs, comparing the loss of that data to ignoring the black box after an airplane crash.
Instructor, suspensions and a resurfaced video
Witnesses told reporters that instructor William “Bill” Armstrong was on the dock and “bone-dry” while others searched for Dylan. Armstrong later resigned from his job at the Collin County Sheriff’s Office. The Scuba Ranch suspended Armstrong from teaching and barred Scuba Toys from running further classes while the investigation plays out, and a resurfaced 2017 video clip of the shop owner has alarmed many in the dive community, as DeeperBlue has reported.
Legal fallout and safety questions
The lawsuit turns up the heat on long-simmering concerns about training rules, calling for clearer standards on instructor-to-student ratios, buddy systems and supervision during inland dives with low visibility. According to Divernet, the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office says Dylan’s death is still an open criminal case and that investigators are following “all available evidence.”
What’s next
With both a criminal probe and a new civil suit moving ahead, the Harrison family says its goal is accountability and stronger industry rules that will better protect children in training dives. Divers and local officials alike are watching to see how the agencies respond and how the courts handle the family’s claims.
