A Wisconsin Family Is Suing Target After Their 10-Month-Old Died From Swallowing A Water Bead

CBS Minnesota

July 10, 2026

A Wisconsin family lost their ten-month-old daughter after she swallowed a water bead. They blame Target and the water bead manufacturer for her death.

This week, Taylor and Tyler Bethard filed a lawsuit against Target in Hennepin County, claiming that the company failed to warn them and other customers about the dangers of a water beads product that used to be sold exclusively at Target.

Water beads are marketed as toys that come with sensory kits or craft sets, but data shows the products are prone to injuring young children. The polymer material is extremely absorbent, allowing water beads - which are often colorful - to expand around 100 times their original size when they interact with water or liquid. This presents a hazard for kids; the United States Product Safety Commission states that between 2017 and 2022, there were 6,300 water bead-related ingestion injuries that required treatment from emergency departments across the country.

Click here for the full story via CBS Minnesota

CBS Local Digital Media personalizes the global reach of CBS-owned and operated television and radio stations with a local perspective.