Drama in the Caribbean

Mother and son died after eating at hotel buffet

(Bild: vlad_g)

Terrible drama in the vacation paradise of the Dominican Republic: A mother and her son died after eating from the hotel buffet of a luxury resort during what was supposed to be a dream vacation. The father and son survived the life poisoning ...

The Gougeon family from Canada wanted to treat themselves to a nice break in the Caribbean over the holidays after Christmas 2023, but it turned into a disaster shortly after their arrival. After checking into the hotel, they had a bite to eat at the hotel buffet - shortly afterwards, all four family members suffered from vomiting, shortness of breath and dizziness. 

Family reportedly not helped at first
Mother April (41) and son Oliver (8) were hit the hardest: they died in hospital as a result of the food poisoning. Their relatives are now seeking compensation of around 6.6 million euros. The accusation is that they were not helped quickly enough despite their dramatic state of health. 

A clinic connected to the hotel told the family in the morning that they could not be offered medical assistance in their hotel room. "Although he pointed out the urgency of their request and said that the Gougeon family was unable to go to the clinic without help due to their condition, he was told that it was the medical staff's policy to stay at the clinic," the indictment states. 

It was not until the afternoon that father Stephan was able to get them help. Medical staff brought the family of four to the clinic in wheelchairs. After treatment with antibiotics, they were transferred to another hospital. 

This is what it looks like at the luxury resort:

Flying home without victims was "indescribable" for family
But all help came too late for April and Oliver: despite artificial respiration, the mother and eight-year-old died in the vacation paradise. The father and surviving son Wesley had to return home alone. "It was indescribable to fly home without April and Oliver, who had been sitting next to us just a few days before. We planned this trip so that our family could rest and relax. The thought that something like this could happen was completely out of our minds," reads a statement from the family.

The Gougeons family is suing the hotel chain for the delayed assistance and lack of hygiene. They accuse the company of having inadequately trained its staff. The chain regretted the deaths, but vehemently rejected all accusations.