Mother Of Drowning Victim Warns About Jacuzzis

KIRKLAND - The mother of a Kirkland girl who drowned last week in a Jacuzzi-equipped bathtub said she wants people to know how dangerous the tubs can be.

No warning was posted in the bathroom where 10-year-old Kandice L. Nyborg died when she was taking a bath Wednesday night, said her mother, Della Nyborg.

The family was vacationing at a resort in Sunriver, in central Oregon, at the time of the accident.

"I don't want this to happen to anybody else," Nyborg said.

Based on reports from Deschutes County sheriff's office, it was widely reported that Kandice died in a hot tub, but Nyborg said the tub was actually a bathtub equipped with Jacuzzi jets.

The girl's hair became entangled in a suction intake valve at the bottom of the tub, and she drowned.

At the time of the accident, Nyborg said, the family was in the next room, and Kandice was out of sight for no more than 10 minutes.

Her daughter apparently could not cry out for help or make any noise because her head was pulled underwater, Nyborg said.

Her daughter's hair was so entangled in the valve that "I could not pull it out with my hands with all my strength," said Nyborg.

Nyborg said the family is still in shock over the accident.

"She was very pretty, very carefree," Nyborg said. "She did not have a care in the world. She was smart and full of life. We were having a lot of fun (on vacation), so I'm very glad of that."