06.26.2025 | 7:07 PM | TUSTIN – The three-year-old daughter of Tustin Mayor Austin Lumbard died following a reported drowning incident but authorities have yet to release substantive information regarding the tragedy.
Authorities were summoned to a home in the 70 block of Windwalker Way following reports of a possible drowning around 8:57 PM on Saturday, June 14, according to fire department radio traffic.
When medics arrived they found Riley Sophia Lumbard, 3, of Tustin, suffering from an unspecified medical crisis. First responders initiated CPR before rushing Riley to a nearby hospital in the company of what appeared to be her father, Austin Lumbard, video shows.
Just days later, on June 18, the young Lumbard was pronounced deceased, a Orange County Sheriff – Coroner Department spokesperson confirmed.
The home where Riley reportedly drowned, which is next door to the home of Austin Lumbard, has an outdoor pool in its backyard, satellite images show.
Neighbors indicated that Riley and Mayor Lumbard were attending a pool party hosted at their neighbor’s home when the tragedy struck but additional details are sketchy.
A Reddit post, which has since been removed, indicated that Mayor Lumbard “neglected his 3 year old child” and was “drunk” at the time of the incident.
A spokesperson from the Irvine Police Department confirmed that their agency responded to the scene to assist with documenting evidence but referred to the Tustin Police Department for further information.
A spokesperson from the Orange County Sheriff – Coroner Department declined to indicate the cause of death, also referring to the Tustin Police Department.
To date the Tustin Police Department has refused to provide further information and has not responded to a request regarding whether a criminal probe is ongoing. Instead, in an unprecedented move, the department responded 11 days after an initial request from County News, treating its media request as a request for public records and then further delayed their response to that supposed public records request by the maximum amount of time allowed by law.
The department claims the reason for the extension is the “unusual circumstance” of their need to consult with other agencies regarding the request.
The Orange County Fire Authority also refused to provide information regarding the incident, saying only that the incident was a “medical aid” and not a drowning, despite radio traffic contradicting that position.
Mr. Lumbard was noticeably absent from a June 17 city council meeting and a July 1 meeting has been cancelled, according to a notice posted to the City of Tustin website. As of the time of publication the City of Tustin nor Mr. Lumbard have released an official statement regarding the death and it is unclear if the mayor intends to resign from his position given the impact to his family.
First elected to the Tustin City Council in 2018, Mr. Lumbard was subsequently elected as Tustin’s mayor in 2022. His biography posted to the City of Tustin website indicates he is a “long-time Tustin resident” who grew up in Orange County. Mr. Lumbard shares four other children with his wife, the biography indicates.
The World Health Organization has called drowning a “preventable public health crisis”. The Orange County Fire Authority dubbed drowning the “leading cause of accidental death for young children” and a “preventable tragedy.” The Orange County Fire Authority website provides a number of resources to assist pool owners, parents, and caregivers in establishing safeguards to prevent drowning.
