The family of 33-year-old John Van Hoy Jr. is suing Sandals Resorts International for negligence. Mr. Van Hoy was reportedly sucked into the drain of the Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort’s whirlpool and drowned while workers at the resort ignored his fiancee’s pleas for help.
According to the Miami New Times, Van Hoy was in a hot tub when he dunked his body underwater and was then “sucked onto the spa’s suction outlet drain cover/grate and/or sump frame.”
The lawsuit cliams that Van Hoy was “in excellent shape, and could bench press over 300 pounds,” but was unable to free himself because “the suction force was so excessive.”
His fiancee Nicole Cleaveland jumped in to the pool and tried to free him, but she was unsuccessful.
“Nicole Cleaveland then sought the help of a Royal Bahamian employee who ignored her pleas for help and walked away,” reads the suit.
There was no emergency shut-off button nearby, no one could turn off the whirlpool. Other guests tried to help Van Hoy, but no one could get him free.
One fellow guest was able to finally free Van Hoy from the drain, but at that point it may have been too late. It took an ambulance 45 minutes to arrive, and Sandals had no one on staff who was willing to perform CPR on Van Hoy.
No resort employees assisted in the rescue effort or even attempted to turn off the spa’s pump, according to the lawsuit. It is also alleged that Sandals kept the pump house locked preventing anyone from shutting the spa’s pumps off.
He was pronounced dead when his body was finally taken to the hospital.
The complaint also alleges that after the death, the phone was removed from Cleaveland’s room, and that she was interrogated by hotel staffers who tried to get her to admit that either she or Van Hoy was somehow responsible for the death.
Van Hoy’s parents, son, Cleaveland and her son are now suing Sandals, its American-based marketing firm, and the companies that built or supplied parts for the whirlpool.
