Parents of girl killed by boat in junior lifeguard class sue city of Huntington Beach, Calif.

Parents of girl killed by boat sue Calif. city

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — The parents of a Huntington Beach, Calif., junior lifeguard who was struck and killed by a boat during a training exercise have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city.

Rick and Pam Squirrell of Laguna Hills filed the suit last week in Orange County Superior Court alleging that city employees were negligent and caused the death of their daughter Allyssa.

Prosecutors declined to file charges against the veteran marine safety officer, Lt. Greg Crow, who was piloting the boat that struck and killed the 11-year-old girl.

The suit claims city employees did not operate the boat safely or slow down near swimmers, and did not have enough flotation devices.

City Attorney Jennifer McGrath said the city had not yet been served with the lawsuit and declined to comment.

Information from: The Orange County Register, www.ocregister.com