Texan whose husband died by hot tub electrocution at Mexican beach resort files wrongful death suit

MEXICO CITY — An American tourist died and his wife was hospitalized after being electrocuted in a hot tub in a Mexican coastal town earlier this week, an incident that led the family to sue the resort for wrongful death and negligence, their lawyers said Saturday.

The seriously injured woman, Lizette Zambrano, 35, filed the lawsuit Friday seeking $1 million in damages from U.S.-based tour operators in her hometown of El Paso, Texas, days after being evacuated from the hot tub. of the hotel. resort town of Puerto Peñasco, an hour south of the border.

The Arizona-based defendants, vacation rental provider Casago International and travel company High Desert Travel, did not respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit, which holds them responsible for faulty electrical wiring in the hot tub that caused the electrocution of the couple and their 43-year sentence. -Death of old Jorge Guillén.

In addition to failing to prevent or warn guests about the dangers of the hot tub, resort managers also failed to react quickly enough to the emergency, according to the claim.

The tragedy unfolded when Zambrano, her husband Guillén and several other family members arrived at the Sonoran Sea Resort, a high-rise condominium complex, on Tuesday for their vacation, according to the lawsuit. Zambrano and Guillén headed to the jacuzzi to watch the sunset over the sea.

They did not know that an electric current circulated through the water of the jacuzzi.

“It’s absolutely terrifying,” Tej Paranjpe, an attorney with the Houston-based law firm PMR, told The Associated Press on Saturday.

The moment Guillén put his foot into the jacuzzi, the current hit him. He fell into a direct electrical circuit and quickly became trapped underwater.

Zambrano jumped into the water to rescue her drowning husband, then the current shook her and also absorbed her, according to the lawsuit. Cellphone footage of the incident shows the beachfront pool deck descended into chaos as screaming guests ran, trying to help the couple and then discovering the danger of the hot tub water.

While one guest managed to drag Zambrano out of the water, efforts to retrieve Guillen with poles and various metal tools only unleashed electric shocks on more and more people, according to the lawsuit.

“There was not a single staff member who did anything while Jorge was continuously shocked over and over again underwater,” Paranjpe said.

Ten minutes passed, Zambrano’s lawyers said, before resort workers responded to the vacationers’ cries for help. The manager finally managed to get Guillén out of the bottom of the jacuzzi, but it was too late.

Zambrano was flown by helicopter to Phoenix, Arizona, and was released from the hospital on Friday.

Mexican prosecutors in the state of Sonora reported that investigators were investigating “the origin of the electrical failure” and would conduct field visits in the coming days.

Electrocution in a hot tub due to faulty underwater lighting and faulty pumps remains rare, but experts warn that vigilance is necessary to ensure the equipment is properly maintained.

Between 2002 and 2018, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported 47 incidents involving injury or death at hot tubs, pools and spas in the country.