EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The wife of an El Paso man who was killed when he was electrocuted in a jacuzzi at a private resort in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico earlier this week has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against three companies that reportedly operate the resort.
Jorge Guillen, 43, was killed and his wife, Lizzette Zambrano, 35, suffered life-threatening injuries at the Sonoran Sea Resort on June 11, according to the General Prosecutor’s Office for the State of Sonora. Both Guillen and Zambrano are from El Paso and the lawsuit was filed in the district court of El Paso County.
A lawsuit filed on behalf of Zambrano and Guillen’s estate seeks $1 million “including damages of any kind, penalties, court costs, expenses, and prejudgment interest,” according to the lawsuit obtained by KTSM.
The lawsuit was filed against three companies — Casago LLC of Houston; Casago International of Scottsdale, Arizona; and High Desert Travel, also of Scottsdale.
Zambrano is doing better and could be released from a Phoenix hospital as early as Friday night, her attorneys said.
The lawsuit alleges that “electrical wiring in the jacuzzi on the premises was faulty and had not been treated or dealt with by any defendant employees.”
The lawsuit says the jacuzzi did not have a sign or any notice that the jacuzzi constituted a “deadly hazard.”
“Defendants breached their duty of ordinary care by failing to adequately maintain the premises and/or failing to make the condition reasonably safe,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit is seeking damages for pain and suffering, loss of earnings, mental anguish, medical expenses, loss of companionship, and funeral and burial costs, among others.
Here is what the lawsuit says happened in the jacuzzi:
“Jorge entered into the jacuzzi first. Immediately upon entrance into the jacuzzi, Jorge was exposed to an electrical current in the water. Jorge immediately keeled over into the tub and was taken under the surface of the water. Witnessing her husband immediately collapse, Lizzette sprang forward from the pool deck to try and grab Jorge’s body from the jacuzzi. However, upon touching Jorge and the water, Lizette was electrically shocked and also fell into the jacuzzi. Patrons began to encircle the chaos, attempting to save both Lizzette and her husband. Lizzette was able to be grabbed by another guest and was brought out of the water.
“Patrons attempted to assist, grabbing a shepherd’s cross and other items to attempt to get Jorge’s body from the jacuzzi. However, the metal from the objects carried the electrical current and began shocking the rescuers. It was only after approximately ten (10) painstaking minutes that Casago staff and the Defendants finally availed themselves and began to assist in rescuing Jorge. At no time prior to this, did Defendants seek to engage the emergency shutoff for the jacuzzi or attempt any rescue of either Jorge or Lizzette. Jorge was being electrocuted and drowned under water for 10 minutes.”
