Instructor at scuba class where 12-year-old drowned had ‘been awake straight’ for 29 hours, report says

An instructor for a Texas scuba diving class where a 12-year-old girl drowned admitted to investigators he hadn’t slept in nearly 30 hours at the time of her death, according to a new report.

Dylan Harrison, 12, died in August 2025 after drowning during a class at The Scuba Ranch, a training lake in Terrell, Texas, according to Fox 4 News. Now, new allegations have come to light about her instructor, William Armstrong.

Armstrong was reportedly teaching a class of eight students, including Harrison, when the incident occurred. Harrison went missing during the class, and her body was found at a depth of 45 feet, Fox 4 News reports.

Armstrong was arrested on Friday, February 6, and charged with injury to a child, according to the outlet. He was released after posting a $150,000 bond and reportedly made no comments to reporters as he left the Kaufman County Jail.

An affidavit obtained by Fox 4 News said Armstrong admitted to investigators he had “been awake straight for approximately 29 hours, working three jobs” when Harrison drowned.

According to Fox 4 News, the document indicates no one was in the water searching for Harrison, and Armstrong was standing on the dock without diving gear on, when rescue officials arrived at the scene.

Investigators also collected Harrison’s dive watch, which appeared to indicate she wasn’t weighted properly, Fox 4 News reports. Weighting is a key safety measure that helps divers control their buoyancy, as well as the speed at which they dive and resurface, according to Scuba Diving International.

Armstrong has since been “permanently suspended” from teaching at The Scuba Ranch, according to the outlet. Armstrong also worked as an assistant chief deputy at the Collin County Sheriff’s Office, but has since resigned from his role, Fox 4 News reported.

In a statement shared with The Independent, a spokesperson for The Scuba Ranch confirmed the instructor was "permanently suspended" from teaching at their facility following the incident.

"The Scuba Ranch does not employ Dive Instructors, and does not provide, direct, or supervise instruction received. All Dive Instructors are independent of The Scuba Ranch and not affiliated with us other than as a customer," the spokesperson said.

The Scuba Ranch has been “fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation and remains committed to supporting all efforts to understand what happened," the spokesperson added.

“We pray this family receives the answers, justice, and closure they deserve, and that all of the dive community would be strengthened through what we learn from this tragedy,” they said.

The Independent has contacted an attorney representing Harrison’s family for comment. The Independent was unable to identify an attorney for Armstrong.