3-Year-Old Drowns in Palm Bay Hotel Pool, Father Arrested

Tragedy at Palm Bay Hotel Pool Ends in Child’s Death

A 3-year-old boy lost his life after drowning in a hotel pool over the weekend, according to local authorities. The incident occurred at the Quality Inn on Palm Bay Road, where emergency responders were called following reports of a child in distress.

The father of the child, Shared Smith, 40, has been charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child. He is currently being held in the Brevard County jail without bond. The case has sparked widespread concern and raised questions about the circumstances that led to the tragic event.

A Long Period of Drowning

Surveillance footage from the hotel pool revealed that the child was submerged for approximately 20 to 23 minutes before being discovered. According to an arrest affidavit, a housekeeper was cleaning a room on the third floor when she noticed the child floating in the water. She saw Smith sitting on the pool steps, apparently asleep.

The housekeeper immediately began shouting for Smith to "grab the baby." However, he did not respond. She then ran past him and pulled the child from the deep end of the pool. The housekeeper described the child as "lifeless" and noted that he was foaming from his nose.

Despite her efforts, the housekeeper did not know CPR and attempted to perform chest compressions and open the child’s airway. Eventually, Smith woke up and approached the housekeeper, who was holding the child. He reportedly used profanities and refused to help. His behavior continued as other hotel staff intervened and called 911.

Lack of Immediate Action

Paramedics arrived at the scene and transported the child to a local hospital. He was later airlifted to an Orlando hospital, where he was placed on life-support machines. At the time, Smith was charged with child neglect. Authorities stated that he did not provide a reason for being at the pool and requested to be taken to the hospital.

During the investigation, officers found a bottle of wine near Smith’s belongings and discovered alcohol in the hotel room. They also noted that Smith was uncooperative during the process.

The Aftermath

The child later died at the hospital, leading to an upgrade in Smith’s charges to aggravated manslaughter. He appeared in court on Tuesday and was denied bond. The arrest report also mentioned that the child’s mother was contacted shortly after the incident. She confirmed that the family is from Georgia and that she had left the hotel about an hour before the 911 call was made.

Palm Bay police noted that Smith has an active warrant in Georgia for a DUI. This adds another layer of complexity to the case and raises further questions about his actions and state of mind at the time of the incident.

Reactions from the Hotel Staff

A member of the Quality Inn team, speaking off-camera, expressed pride in the staff’s quick response during the crisis. They described the situation as heartbreaking and emphasized the importance of vigilance and immediate action in such emergencies.

The tragedy has left the community in shock and has prompted calls for increased safety measures at public pools, especially those frequented by families. As the legal proceedings continue, the focus remains on understanding what went wrong and how similar incidents can be prevented in the future.