The family of a man who died from a heart attack at the Santa Clarita Aquatics Center has filed a lawsuit against the city of Santa Clarita, claiming wrongful death, dangerous condition of public property and survivor damages.
The lawsuit was filed Thursday on behalf of Isabella Bailey, a “successor-in-interest” to Frazier Alan Bailey, the 66-year-old who died Dec. 22, 2025, during a public swimming session.
“Despite being open to the public and having lifeguards for public safety, there were no lifeguards near or around the pool when Mr. Bailey died,” according to the lawsuit, filed in L.A. County Superior Court. “Plaintiff is informed and believes that in violation of their duties and responsibilities, the lifeguards failed to monitor the pool, and they failed to provide timely lifesaving efforts and aid that would have saved Mr. Bailey’s life,” the lawsuit states.
Joe Redmond, a spokesman for the city of Santa Clarita, declined to comment on the pending litigation this week.
The city had received a request earlier this year to preserve all of its documentation and electronic communication with respect to the incident, which was cited as a precursor to last week’s complaint.
The lawsuit goes on to further say it was another swimmer who found Frazier Bailey in distress and motionless at the bottom of the pool, not one of the lifeguards charged with monitoring the pool.
“Plaintiff is further informed and believes that the lifeguards failed to promptly summon emergency medical care, and they failed to provide timely life-saving efforts and aid that would have saved Mr. Bailey’s life. He was pronounced dead at the scene,” according to the lawsuit, which was filed by Gavrilov & Brooks.
The L.A. County Medical Examiner’s Office reported that Bailey’s cause of death was listed as complications of arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, or ASCVD.
The primary cause of death indicated in Bailey’s death information online, AVSCD, is considered the leading cause of death globally, according to the American Heart Association. The term refers to a plaque buildup in arterial walls, which can create other conditions, including: coronary heart disease, such as myocardial infarction, angina and coronary artery stenosis; cerebrovascular disease; and peripheral artery disease, such as claudication, according to the AHA website.
