Travel often brings joy and beautiful memories for families, but sometimes, it can unveil unexpected dangers. Unfortunately, for one family, a tropical escape turned into a nightmare they’ll never wake up from. They’re now grappling with the devastating loss of their young son, who had a fatal fall from a hotel balcony.
Chillingly, just moments before the incident, the couple snapped a poignant photo of their little boy gazing through a glass window pane.
1-year-old Nico Carter was enjoying a family vacation with his parents, James Carter and Anastasia Duboshina, at the Hyatt Ziva in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. But tragedy struck when Nico slipped through a gap where a balcony panel should’ve been, plummeting nine floors down.
The incident, which took place on October 11, 2021, unfolded right before his father’s eyes. Overcome with grief, the couple has initiated a wrongful death lawsuit against Hyatt Hotels.
“The scene plays on repeat in my mind,” James Carter shared with The San Diego Union-Tribune. “I was right there, watching my son fall. It’s beyond words.”
Nico met a tragic end, falling over 100 feet onto a concrete deck. “Everything changed in a split second. My whole world shattered,” Duboshina expressed.
In response to the lawsuit, a Hyatt spokesperson remarked, “Though we generally refrain from commenting on potential legal matters, we’ve been collaborating with Playa Hotels & Resorts, the Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta’s operator, for a transparent probe into this heart-wrenching incident from October 2021. Guest safety remains our utmost concern, and our thoughts are with the family during this incredibly challenging time.”
The lawsuit alleges that the hotel deceived the couple about safety standards and claimed that Hyatt Ziva maintained the same benchmarks as other Hyatt branches. It further argues that the hotel falsely promoted the Ziva as a direct Hyatt property rather than an independently run establishment.
“Every parent should be spared from this agony,” said Nico’s heartbroken mother.
Their room featured a balcony with glass panes as protective barriers. However, one pane was conspicuously absent, with no signs or warnings about the hazard. A photograph revealed a sliding door that partially concealed the balcony, but a gap big enough for a toddler was evident. The lawsuit claims that the clear panels made it challenging to notice the missing one, dubbing the peril as “invisible.”
“The loss of our son was needless and entirely avoidable,” Duboshina lamented. “We trusted Hyatt for its safety reputation. They need to be accountable. No parent should endure our pain. It’s unbearable.”