A grieving family filed a civil lawsuit after a mother and son died of food poisoning while on vacation at a Dominican Republic resort.
April and Stephen Gougeon decided to take their family on an all-inclusive vacation to the Dominican Republic during the 2023 holiday season, according to Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP, the family’s legal representative.
The Canadian family had planned a one-week stay at the Wyndham Viva Dominicus Beach resort. According to attorneys, all four family members became ill while eating at the resort buffet.
“The family made repeated requests for medical assistance that went unanswered,” attorneys stated in a Jan. 27 press release. “By the time the family arrived at the local hospital, it was too late.”
April and their son, Oliver, died at the hospital. A coroner’s report revealed that they died from “secondary causes related to food poisoning,” according to the release.
Stephen and another family member were treated at the hospital before being released a few days later, according to attorneys.
“Flying back home without April and Oliver sitting beside you, as they had done just days earlier, is indescribable,” Stephen said in the release. “We planned this trip so that our family could rest and relax. The notion that something like this could occur was the furthest thing from our minds.”
According to lawyers, the family booked the trip with Air Transat and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts “because they thought they would have high health and safety standards.”
The lawsuit claims that several factors contributed to their deaths, including “poor sanitary conditions in food preparation areas, the absence of timely onsite medical evaluation and treatment, and inadequate staff training to identify and deal with emergencies.”
“We called asking for help,” Stephen said in the release. “They did not take our call seriously, did not follow through on our request for medical assistance, and did not check in with us. When they finally responded to our further request, there appeared to be some confusion about how to handle the situation. These delays cost us valuable time that could have been used to treat our illness. In the end, it cost my wife and son their lives.
Meghan Hull Jacquin, a personal injury lawyer at Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP who is representing the family, described the case as shocking.
“The Gougeons are taking action against the companies whose negligence allowed this to happen, not only to get answers and realize a sense of justice for themselves, but to shine a light on these events, effect change in the failed processes and procedures and ideally protect other vacationers from having to experience anything similar,” according to her.
The lawsuit was filed at Toronto Superior Court.
Air Transat issued a statement to People, refuting the allegations.
“At the time of these events, we supported the Gougeon family,” the statement said. “In such cases, we act with diligence, prudence, and compassion, doing everything possible to assist our clients. Furthermore, we carefully select our suppliers, and the hotel operator has assured us that it will fully cooperate with the authorities in shedding light on these tragic deaths.
Nexstar’s FOX 8 News contacted Wyndham Hotels and Resorts and the on-site medical clinic, Clinica Canela, for comment on the lawsuit.
