Settlement Reached in Wrongful-Death Lawsuit
The town of Steilacoom, Washington, has agreed to pay $15 million to the parents of a teenage boy who drowned during a town summer camp outing. The settlement resolves a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the boy’s parents following the tragic incident.
Incident Details
Darrell “DJ” McCutcheon, Jr., 13, drowned in Florence Lake on Anderson Island, southwest of Seattle, on July 15, 2022. According to Pierce County Court records, DJ disappeared under the water during a summer camp outing.
Circumstances Leading to Drowning
Court records reveal that a camp employee had left DJ and other teenagers at the lake to pick up another group of children and a co-worker at a nearby ferry station. DJ, who had no prior experience swimming in open water and was not provided with a life jacket, was submerged for about six minutes before bystanders rescued him and began performing CPR. Despite being flown to a hospital, DJ died that day.
Rescue Efforts
Earnest Roberts, a beachgoer, swam out and located DJ about 10 feet (3 meters) underwater, pulling him to the surface. Roberts later stated, “If he was adequately and properly supervised as part of the summer camp group … that boy would not have died,” according to court records.
Legal Action and Settlement
The boy’s parents, Tamicia and Darrell McCutcheon Sr., sued the town for negligence. Brett Rosen, the family’s attorney, confirmed that Steilacoom agreed to the $15 million settlement in late April. Rosen emphasized the family’s hope that their tragedy would prevent similar incidents in the future.
