Uintah Water District sued over teen's death

VERNAL — The Uintah Water Conservancy District is being sued by the parents of a 16-year-old boy who died after he became trapped in an irrigation canal in June.

An attorney for Kelly and Jeannie O'Driscoll of Tridell filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the water district last week. The O'Driscolls claim the district and its employees failed to prevent their son, Ryan, from accessing a spillway near the Steinaker Reservoir feeder canal near Maeser, leading to his death.

According to court records, Ryan O'Driscoll and another teen went to the canal on June 18 to slide down the spillway and go swimming.

There were no warning signs, no trespassing signs or measures taken to prevent youth from entering into the spillway and canal area, the lawsuit states, adding that the two boys passed water district employees as they walked toward their destination, but were not stopped.

The suit says that O'Driscoll slid down the spillway and became trapped by an undertow. The boy was knocked down multiple times and struck his head, rendering him unconscious.

At the time of the accident, Uintah County Sheriff's Lt. John Laursen told the Deseret News that O'Driscoll's friend tried to pull him from the water, but he was also pulled under and almost drowned.

Laursen said water district employees heard the boys' screams for help and responded from the head gate of the canal. The lieutenant said while one employee returned to the head gate to slow the water flow, another entered the water, and a third employee held on to a chain securing the employee in the water.

The employee in the water pulled the second teen out of the water to the canal bank, then returned to the water and was able to free O'Driscoll. Water district employees started CPR on O'Driscoll, who was transported to Ashley Regional Medical Center before being flown to Primary Children's Medical Center where he was put on life support.

O'Driscoll died the following day after he was removed from life support. Doctors had told his parents he would not regain consciousness.

The O'Driscolls' complaint accuses the water district of, among other things, creating an "attractive nuisance" and failing to prevent access to the spillway and canal while "fully knowing that children regularly utilized it for the type of activities in which Ryan O'Driscoll and his friend were engaged."

An attorney for the water district said that he was aware of the lawsuit, but had not yet seen the complaint. He said he could not comment on the case.

The O'Driscolls' suit does not specify how much they are seeking in damages or compensation for medical expenses.

E-mail: geoff@ubstandard.com