What happened
A 79-year-old Washington, Indiana man was found dead in a neighbor's swimming pool, WWBL reported on September 3, 2026[1]. WZDM[2] and the Washington Times-Herald[3] carried the same Daviess County Sheriff's Office account. The reports reproduce one sheriff's office release, not three separate investigations.
According to WWBL, Daviess County dispatch received a 911 call shortly before 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 3, 2026, from a residence at 4831 South State Road 57 in Washington. The caller reported a male subject found in the family's swimming pool. Sheriff's deputies and Veale Volunteer Fire District personnel responded.
WWBL identified the man as Melvin Robinson, 79, of Washington. The report said he lived at 4856 South State Road 57, directly across the highway from the pool, and was located deceased in the pool. WZDM also reported his age as 79.
Preliminary information from the Daviess County Sheriff's Office indicated that Robinson may have become disoriented and entered the pool sometime after 9:15 a.m., according to WWBL. No published source states what may have caused the disorientation or how he reached the pool area.
The Daviess County Sheriff's Office is the lead agency, assisted by the Daviess County Coroner's Office and the Daviess Community Hospital Ambulance Service, WWBL reported. The investigation is ongoing, and a manner and cause determination remains pending. The published reports provide no information about fencing, gates, latches, or alarms at the pool.
What families should do next
A death at a private residence raises questions that news coverage cannot answer. Ask for the sheriff's incident report and the coroner's report when they become available. A police report is not a determination of civil liability, but these records can help establish the known facts. This guide explains how to obtain an Indiana police report.
If you have lawful access to the property, photograph relevant conditions before anything changes. Pool barriers, gates, latching hardware, and alarms may become important only if the evidence shows they existed and were relevant. Do not assume any of those conditions were present or defective here, because the public reports do not say.
Wait for the coroner's findings before drawing conclusions about a medical cause. Whether a medical event occurred before the person entered the water is a matter for medical and investigative evidence.
If a potential wrongful death claim is being considered, Indiana law generally requires the personal representative of the estate to bring it. Families can review a plain-language explanation of Indiana wrongful death claims and should seek a candid assessment of whether the evidence supports a claim.
Why location matters in an Indiana premises claim
This incident happened on private residential property in Daviess County. Under Indiana premises law, a property owner's duty can depend on whether the person entering the property was an invitee, licensee, or trespasser. The distinction is explained in this guide to Indiana premises liability duties.
That legal status can weigh heavily against a claim when an adult enters a neighbor's pool area without an invitation. Indiana's attractive nuisance doctrine generally concerns child trespassers, not adults. Local pool-barrier ordinances and building requirements may also matter, but the published record does not address fencing, gates, latches, or alarms. Based only on the reporting available, liability appears weak rather than merely unresolved, although records and physical evidence should be reviewed before a final assessment.
Washington is the county seat of Daviess County. Washington County is a different Indiana county, so records requests and any court filing must identify the correct county.
Indiana deadlines and comparative fault
Most Indiana personal injury and wrongful death claims must be filed within two years of the injury or death under Indiana Code 34-11-2-4[4]. For a September 3, 2026 death, that deadline would generally fall on or about September 3, 2028. Indiana Code 34-23-1-1[5] and Indiana Code 34-23-1-2[6] address wrongful death claims, including who may bring a claim and what may be recovered.
Indiana Code 34-51-2-6[7] provides that an injured person whose fault is greater than 50 percent recovers nothing; otherwise, recovery is reduced by that person's percentage of fault. In a premises case involving an adult who entered an area on his own, comparative fault may be decisive.
If a homeowner's policy is the only plausible source of coverage, the policy's limits and exclusions affect what may be available. No published source has reported insurance information in this matter.
How Delventhal Law Office can help
Delventhal Law Office, LLC is a Fort Wayne personal injury law firm founded by attorney Chad E. Delventhal in 2009. The firm reviews premises liability claims and wrongful death claims, including cases where the honest conclusion is that the evidence does not support recovery.
Chad Delventhal can request available reports, evaluate whether scene documentation is appropriate, and give your family a direct assessment of the evidence. The firm offers a free case evaluation.
This post is based on public reporting, the investigation may be ongoing, and nothing here is legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship.
