Drowning settlement reached

The family of a 3-year-old boy who drowned at Potter Pool in 2005 has received an undisclosed lawsuit settlement amount, according to city officials.

F. Michael Hart, an Albuquerque attorney representing the child’s mother, Angela Davis, said his client feels city officials have been sincere in their efforts to address the tragedy in a fair way, while at the same time working to prevent similar accidents in the future.

“I think it would be fair to say that there isn’t any resolution in the courts that can ever truly make anyone happy, but I think all parties feel like they did their best to resolve the case in a way that was fair to everyone,” Hart said Wednesday.

He declined to disclose the amount of the settlement.

City Manager Joe Thomas confirmed a settlement had been reached in the lawsuit. He declined to disclose the amount and referred further inquiries to the city’s attorney, Stephen French, who could not be reached for comment.

Thomas said the city’s insurance agent pays the settlement.

Jequon Haynes drowned July 13, 2005, in the shallow end. The boy was visiting his grandmother from Dallas.

A state inquiry determined one of the four city lifeguards at the pool was on duty at the time of the accident, and ordered the city to develop a corrective plan.