The Florida Department of Health ordered the closure of the three pools at Bucky Dent Water Park in Hialeah just five days after their reopening, after determining that the aquatic facilities were operating without the required state permits, as reported by El Nuevo Herald.
The measure specifically affects the three pools of the water park: the main pool, the activity pool, and the small pool with water slides.
According to the available information, this is not an order to close the entire 25-acre Bucky Dent Park recreational complex, which has various other sports and recreational facilities.
The water park had reopened its doors on July 31 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Mayor Bryan Calvo, who celebrated the return of the facility after seven years of closure, promising to give the families of Hialeah a space to swim and gather.
The reopening, however, lasted very little: on August 5th, just five days after the ceremony, the pools were once again out of service.
The pools were operating without the required permits
State inspectors placed closure notices at the facilities after determining that the pools did not meet the necessary requirements to operate.
One of the notices warned:
"This pool does NOT comply with Florida Statute 514 and Florida Administrative Code 64E-9 and may endanger the health, safety, or welfare of those using this facility."
The affected facilities are the main pool, the activity pool, and the small pool with water slides.
The public records from the Department of Health cited by El Nuevo Herald show that the pools were last inspected on January 15.
At that time, the facility was listed as "closed," and the pools did not have an active operational status, unlike other public pools in Hialeah that were marked as operational in state records.
The Florida Department of Health regulates the public pools in the state and requires these facilities to have the necessary operating permits and to meet sanitation, safety, and operational standards before opening to the public.
The city attributes the problem to an outstanding form
Mayor Bryan Calvo acknowledged the issue in an official statement and assured that the Health Department's permit was pending due to an administrative oversight.
"Due to an oversight when completing a form, the Department of Health's permit is still pending approval. We are acting quickly to reopen the pool as soon as it is issued. We apologize to our residents, as we know everyone was very excited to enjoy the new pool after waiting seven years," it was stated on Instagram.
The mayor's spokesperson, Julio Ligorria, also acknowledged to El Nuevo Herald that there were mechanical issues with the facilities, including "a pump that was malfunctioning".
The explanation of the city, however, leaves a relevant question: how was a municipal water facility able to reopen to the public without the required permit approved by the Department of Health?
So far, according to El Nuevo Herald, the city has not publicly explained which authorizations were in effect prior to the reopening, why the pools began to operate without the permission indicated by health authorities, nor what specific corrective measures must be completed in order for them to operate again.
A medical emergency occurred a day before the closure
The intervention of the Department of Health occurred one day after a medical emergency that took place on Tuesday, August 4, when an 80-year-old man lost consciousness while in one of the pools.
However, it has not been proven that this incident led to the inspection or the closure.
The notices from the Department of Health do not indicate that the emergency prompted action from inspectors, and state authorities have also not indicated that the detected violations caused or contributed to the health issue experienced by the swimmer.
According to witnesses cited by El Nuevo Herald, it was Kevin Palmer, a 33-year-old algebra teacher and former sergeant of the U.S. Army, who initially intervened to pull the man out of the water.
“I took it upon myself to check on the man because everyone disappeared,” Palmer stated to the New Herald.
"I tapped him on the shoulder and saw that he didn't respond. So I immediately pulled him out, holding him against my chest," he recounted.
Palmer stated that he put on swimming goggles, descended to the bottom of the pool, and found the unconscious man. He then brought him to the surface and helped transfer him to the edge of the pool, where the lifeguards intervened.
Two versions regarding the lifeguards' actions
The version provided by the city differs from Palmer's account. Ligorria stated that the lifeguards "responded in a fraction of a second," and that it took "about 15 or 20 seconds to get him out and revive him."
Palmer challenged that version and stated that he did not see the CPR maneuvers begin immediately after pulling the man out of the water.
"It wasn't until, I suppose, one of the senior lifeguards arrived about a minute or two later that I heard him say, 'Come on, let's do CPR, chest compressions now,'" he recounted.
The man was subsequently transferred to a hospital and is in recovery, according to CBS Miami.
Neighbors question how it was able to open without permission
The closure surprised families who had come to enjoy a facility that had just been promoted for reopening by the city.
A mother who took her children to the park on Thursday morning without knowing it was closed summarized one of the main questions that arose after the situation became known: "I don't understand. How can they open if they don't have the permit?"
The reopening had been presented as one of the first flagship projects of Calvo's administration, who took office as mayor in January 2026 at the age of 28, becoming the youngest mayor in the history of Hialeah.
The renovation of the facilities, closed for years due to their deterioration, had an approximate cost of four million dollars. Additionally, the city had announced free admission during the first days following the reopening.
In fact, before the inauguration, it was announced that the pool would remain open daily with free admission until August 13.
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