The family of an 85-year-old man who drowned in a retention pond in March has sued the owner and management of a Jacksonville apartment complex, alleging the pond was not properly maintained or secured and that its steep slope should have required a fence.

Jacksonville attorney Millicent Daniels is calling attention to a critical gap in Florida law after the deaths of two children with autism in neighborhood retention ponds — and she says property owners, HOAs and parents all have roles to play in preventing the next tragedy.

After three children have died in Jacksonville retention ponds in 90 days, the city is exploring ways to make those ponds safer with natural barriers, among other measures. But that’s only part of the effort to keep another tragedy from happening.

City officials are looking to take action to inform the public of the dangers of retention ponds.

Two Jacksonville City Council members are working to make retention ponds safer in hopes of saving lives.