(StraightNews.org) – An American has died after being electrocuted in a jacuzzi at a Mexican resort. The 43-year-old died at a private condominium in Puerto Peñasco when using the hot tub with his wife, who was hospitalized. A social media post from the General Prosecutor’s Office of Justice for the state of Sonora said the death and injury were caused by a “possible electric discharge.”
Authorities have subsequently identified the dead man as Jorge Guillen of El Paso, Texas. His injured wife is 35-year-old Lizette Zambrano. Witnesses say bystanders attempted to rescue the couple by pulling them from the water, but the electrical current kept them at bay.
One woman reportedly endured a shock as she tried to drag the couple free. Videos posted to social media showed the chaotic aftermath of the incident, with frantic witnesses describing their horrific encounter. Emergency first responders found Mr. Guillen submerged, and the complex subsequently shut down further use of jacuzzis until investigations were complete.
Lizette Zambrano, who remains in a serious condition in hospital, has filed a lawsuit against Sonoran Sea Resort in a Texas court. She is seeking $1 million. The suit claims that resort staff took ten minutes to respond and that they should have known of any potentially harmful electrical or mechanical faults affecting the jacuzzi and prevented its use.
Attorney Tej Paranjpe said hotels and vacation accommodation firms have a duty to ensure the properties they rent are safe, adding that staff at the Sonoran Sea Resort did not “think to engage an emergency shut-off” or warn customers of potential dangers. “There is no reason this should have happened,” Paranjpe said.
Zambrano’s lawyers also asked the court to prohibit resort staff from fixing or altering the machines to ensure the preservation of vital evidence.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission states that there have been 33 fatalities in the US since 2002 involving jacuzzis or hot tubs, most from electric shock.
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