A Canadian man, whose wife and eight-year-old kid died from food poisoning during their stay at a Dominican Republic resort, is now suing the resort and its travel agency partners for $10 million, reported The New York Post.
Stephen Gougeon and his family members filed a statement of claim in Ontario Superior Court in Toronto on Monday, claiming that Wyndham Hotels and Resorts and Air Transat companies were negligent in the deaths of his wife April Gougeon, 41, and son Oliver Gougeon, 8, that took place on December 29, 2023.
The claim stated that the family of four, including their other son Wesley, travelled from Toronto to Viva Dominicus Beach by Wyndham Resort just after Christmas in December 2023. After eating dinner at the buffet, all four became violently ill. However, the family's first call for medical help in their room was denied.
"We were all throwing up," father Stephen Gougeon told Canadian news outlet CTV.
The resort only sent help when it became clear that they "weren't getting better," Stephen said.
The following morning, the family was brought to a nearby hospital, where Ashley and Oliver began having trouble breathing. Soon after, they died from "secondary causes related to food poisoning."
"They degraded and then my son passed away ... and then very shortly after, my wife passed away," Stephen Gougeon told CTV.
He waited until the next day to share the news with his son Wesley, who was just 7 at the time, that he would never see his mother or older brother again.
The $10 million civil lawsuit, filed by Stephen Gougeon, claims that the resort failed to provide adequate emergency procedures and hygiene and failed to promptly address the family's medical needs.
"When [the resort] finally responded after our further plea, there appeared to be confusion about how to handle the situation. These delays cost precious time that could have been used to treat our illness. And in the end, it cost my wife and my son their lives," Stephen said in a statement.
