Nola Lobdell Died In Swimming Pool Accident at Mt Hawley Country Club in Peoria

Unsafe Premises - August 4, 2025

Nola Lobdell, 6, Died In Tragic Drowning Accident After Being Pulled from Swimming Pool at Mt. Hawley Country Club

PEORIA, ILLINOIS (August 3, 2025) – A 6-year-old girl identified as Nola Lobdell has tragically died in a swimming pool accident at Mt. Hawley Country Club in Peoria.

Peoria County officials are saying that the accident took place around 7:45 p.m. on July 28. There was some type of employee appreciation event going on at Mt. Hawley Country Club.

Nola Lobdell was one of two children in distress inside of the swimming pool. Both were removed from the pool. A 7-year-old regained consciousness after being removed and transported to OSF Healthcare.

A bystander was able to perform CPR on Nola Lobdell after she was removed, but her condition continued to worsen. Tragically, she was later pronounced dead.

GoFundMe Created To Help Support Victim’s Family

A full investigation into the accident at Mt. Hawley Country Club remains ongoing. You can help support the family of the victim through GoFundMe.

Tiamber Randle is organizing the online fundraiser. According to the GoFundMe page, the proceeds will help with funeral arrangements and to support the mother and father of the young victim.

Liability for Peoria Swimming Pool Accidents

Accidental drowning remains one of the leading causes of preventable injury and death for young children. According to Stanford Medicine, “Approximately 830 children ages 14 and under drown every year. Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional death in children ages 1 to 4 years and ages 10 to 14 years. For those less than 1 year old, drowning is the third leading cause of death.” These accidents can be prevented when property owners enforce certain safety measures.

• Fencing: Swimming pools should typically be surrounded by fences that are at least 4 feet high. They should have self-latching gates.
• Lifeguards: Lifeguards will typically be required for public pools. These lifeguards should closely monitor the water and avoid distractions from cellphones and other devices.
• Training: Lifeguards and other employees monitoring the pool should have emergency preparedness training. They should also be certified in CPR.
• Maintenance: Pools should be routinely inspected and thoroughly maintained. When the water in a pool is not clear, it can be difficult to see children who may be in distress.

Property owners in Illinois have a legal obligation to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition. Pursuant to 740 ILCS 130/1, a property owner must take reasonable steps to warn about latent defects on their property and protect against foreseeable sources of harm. There is a heightened duty of care when it comes to keeping children safe. To that end, property owners may need to properly supervise children and enforce all those rules and regulations necessary for their protection. When a property owner fails to take reasonable measures to safeguard the well-being of children in a swimming pool, this could form the basis of a negligence claim.

Consider, for example, Kolodziej v. Justice Park District (2020). A six-year-old child was attending a day camp run by the Justice Park District. The pool at the day camp was owned by the Bridgeview Park District. The child was given inflatable armbands but would keep removing them. He was later found unresponsive inside of the pool and sustained irreversible brain damage. Sadly, he died just one day after being transported to the hospital. The Illinois Appellate Court found sufficient evidence that the Justice Park District disregarded safety by failing to consistently monitor the child. There could be several sources of negligence on the part of property owners for any accident when a child drowns in a swimming pool.

• Inadequate Staff: Any type of event at a property with a pool may have had insufficient staff to ensure the adequate supervision of children.
• Untrained Staff: The staff watching any event may have lacked professional training and may not have known how to perform CPR.
• Uncontrolled Access: The entryways to a pool area may have been uncontrolled and allowed too many people or children into the area.
• Lack of Safety Equipment: An area with a swimming pool may have lacked safety equipment, including flotation devices and rescue hooks.
• Distracted Lifeguards: The lifeguards for any pool may have been distracted by their cellphones or conversations with other guests.

The vast majority of accidents at swimming pools are preventable. They often involve situations where clear safety rules are not being followed. In particular, there may not be enough trained adults to watch any children who are in a pool. By the time any child drowns in some accident, there may have been many close calls. It is important that parents understand that they do have legal rights after any tragedy like this. They are able to seek some measure of transparency and accountability through a civil action.

Investigating Peoria County Swimming Pool Accidents

We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our deepest condolences to the family of Nola Lobdell. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to investigators. It is our sincere hope that steps are taken to prevent similar tragedies. Many questions remain unanswered at this time. Were there any trained lifeguards at this pool? Were the children in the pool being adequately supervised by staff? Has there been a history of similar incidents at this location?

Do you need more information about a Peoria County swimming pool accident? Our team of water safety advocates is here to answer any questions that you may have. We are well versed in all the laws and safety regulations related to swimming pools across Peoria County and Illinois. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into any incident, we are here for you. You are always welcome to reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.