In a tragic incident in Palm Beach, Florida, Suzie Dudas faced the unimaginable loss of her two children, Zale, aged nine, and Saxon, aged seven, who drowned while scuba diving in a friend’s pool. The children, accompanied by their father, had gone to the friend’s house after school for a play-date. While engaging in scuba diving in the pool, a tragic error occurred: the tanks they were using contained helium instead of oxygen. Helium, when mixed with oxygen, is typically used by deep-sea divers, but in this case, the absence of oxygen in the tanks led to the children losing consciousness underwater.
The father, who is a scuba diver, found the children at the bottom of the pool and immediately pulled them out to commence CPR. Suzie Dudas, upon receiving a distressing call from her ex-husband, rushed to the hospital. Despite all efforts to save them, Zale and Saxon tragically passed away four days later, on April 27, 2021.
Ms. Dudas, a 46-year-old farmer, expressed her profound grief and guilt, lamenting that she wasn’t there to prevent this catastrophe. She recalled the harrowing moment she learned about the accident, hearing background shouts to start CPR during a phone call and then rushing to the site. The sight of her children in the hospital, with their noticeably dilated eyes, left her in disbelief.
In May 2022, the Florida State Attorney’s Office, led by Thomas Bakkedahl, concluded their investigation into this incident. Despite the exhaustive review of the Sheriff’s investigation and additional materials provided by Ms. Dudas, the State Attorney’s Office determined that they could not justifiably pursue criminal charges in this case. Bakkedahl stated that the law and facts of the case precluded a criminal prosecution. This decision was concurred with by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. Although the findings and conclusions were explained to Ms. Dudas and her civil attorneys, they were understandably met with heartache and a desire for accountability.
Ms. Dudas has since been advocating for the case to be reopened and has been sharing her story on social media under the handle @justiceforzaleandsaxon. The Florida State Attorney’s Office, recognizing the profound loss and desire for accountability, expressed their sympathy but maintained that the criminal justice system could not provide the sought-after accountability in this heartbreaking tragedy.
