The family of five-year-old Paloma Quatrini has filed a lawsuit against pool equipment manufacturer Hayward following a catastrophic accident in February 2025. The incident occurred during a family vacation at the Punta Mita Resort in Nayarit, Mexico.
While playing in a shallow kiddie pool, Paloma was reportedly trapped by a high-pressure drain after the protective covering failed. The suction force was so intense that it resulted in the total evisceration of her small intestine.
Her parents, Carolina Velez and Adam Quatrini, attempted to pull her free but were unable to break the vacuum until the pump was deactivated.
Paloma was air-lifted to the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, where she underwent dozens of emergency surgeries over several months.
Dr. Geoffrey Bond, a specialist at the facility, reported that the entirety of the girl's small bowel was lost in the accident. Surgeons were forced to reconstruct her digestive system by connecting her colon directly to the upper GI tract.
Today, the young survivor requires a direct line to her bloodstream to receive nutrition for 12 hours every night. Medical experts indicate that she remains a candidate for a future internal organ transplant as part of her long-term recovery plan.
The legal complaint, refiled in Pittsburgh, names Hayward as the sole defendant. An earlier version of the suit included the Mexican resort but was later withdrawn.
The family's attorney, Robert Zimmerman, stated that the case belongs in Pennsylvania because the victim and the majority of witnesses reside in the area.
Hayward has previously sought to dismiss the litigation, arguing that the incident's location in Mexico should dictate the jurisdiction.
The Quatrini family maintains that their daughter should not be required to litigate her case in a foreign country where she nearly lost her life.
The case continues to draw attention to international pool safety regulations and the responsibilities of equipment manufacturers.
The Quatrini family seeks damages for medical expenses and the permanent physical impact of the malfunction.