In May, three American tourists at the Sandals resort on Great Exuma Island, Bahamas, were found dead by resort staff members. The cause of their death was not initially known, but local authorities recently confirmed it was caused by carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. The conclusion was backed by laboratory diagnostics in the U.S. A fourth woman from Florida was rushed to the hospital and survived the incident.
Royal Bahamas Police Force officials have indicated that there is no reason to believe foul play caused the CO exposure. Although, the source of the carbon monoxide that entered the two separate villas has not been confirmed through an investigation yet.
However, it is worth noting that the villas were not equipped with carbon monoxide detectors at the time of the fatal incidents, according to the reports. A spokesperson for Sandals said that CO detectors would then be added to all rooms and villas. It is not clear why the resort did not already have such detectors installed in the rooms already, or if the absence of those detectors violated any local ordinances.
As the investigation continues, it also remains to be seen if the families of the three people who passed away – and the one woman who suffered nonfatal CO poisoning – will take legal action against the Sandals resort. It stands to say that some form of professional negligence has occurred if carbon monoxide detectors could have been equipped in the guest villas but were not, especially if the resort violated local regulations by not having them.
For more information, you can click here to read a full article from The New York Times. (Log-in and subscription might be required.) Schlesinger Law Offices in Fort Lauderdale is paying close attention to this case as it develops. Be sure to visit our blog often for important updates. You can also contact our firm online if you have any questions about personal injury, premises liability, and wrongful death claims in Florida.
