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

An American tourist tragically died and his wife was hospitalized after being electrocuted in a hot tub at a Mexican beach resort earlier this week, prompting their family to file a lawsuit for wrongful death and negligence against the resort, according to their attorneys on Saturday.

Lizette Zambrano, 35, who was seriously injured, filed the lawsuit seeking $1 million in damages from the U.S.-based operators of the resort, located in Puerto Peñasco, an hour south of the border, where the incident occurred. The lawsuit names Arizona-based vacation rental provider Casago International and travel company High Desert Travel as defendants. As of now, neither company has responded to requests for comment regarding the lawsuit, which alleges that faulty electric wiring in the jacuzzi caused the electrocution of Zambrano’s husband, 43-year-old Jorge Guillen, resulting in his death.

In addition to claiming that the resort failed to prevent and warn guests about the hazards of the hot tub, the lawsuit asserts that the management’s response to the emergency was inadequate.

According to the lawsuit, the tragic incident unfolded when Zambrano and Guillen, along with other family members, arrived at the Sonoran Sea Resort on Tuesday for their vacation. The couple went to the jacuzzi to enjoy the sunset over the sea, unaware that an electric current was flowing through the water.

“It’s absolutely terrifying,” said Tej Paranjpe, an attorney at the Houston-based firm PMR law, speaking to The Associated Press.

The lawsuit details that when Guillen dipped his foot into the jacuzzi, he was shocked by the current, fell into direct contact with an electric circuit, and became trapped underwater. Zambrano then jumped in to rescue him but was also shocked by the current and pulled underwater. Cellphone footage captured the chaotic scene on the beachfront pool deck as guests rushed to assist the couple and discovered the danger posed by the jacuzzi water.

While Zambrano was eventually pulled from the water by a guest, attempts to retrieve Guillen using poles and other tools resulted in more people receiving electric shocks, according to the lawsuit.

“During the entire ordeal, not a single staff member took action while Jorge was repeatedly shocked underwater,” Paranjpe stated.

The lawsuit claims that it took approximately ten minutes for resort workers to respond to pleas for help from vacationers. Eventually, the manager retrieved Guillen from the jacuzzi, but it was too late to save him.

Zambrano was airlifted to Phoenix, Arizona, where she was hospitalized until Friday.

Mexican authorities in Sonora state are investigating the cause of the electrical failure and plan to conduct on-site inspections in the coming days.

While incidents of hot tub electrocution due to faulty underwater lighting and malfunctioning pumps are rare, experts stress the importance of maintaining equipment properly to prevent such tragedies.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, between 2002 and 2018, there were 47 reported incidents involving injury or death in hot tubs, pools, and spas across the United States.