A New York family reportedly went to court Thursday to sue Airbnb for negligence after three of them drowned in a lake where they were allegedly “encouraged” to swim without warning, according to a court document.
“I am still trying to come to terms with the fact that they are no longer with us. Every day is a struggle as we face the overwhelming grief. […] “We believe this tragedy could have been avoided if proper precautions had been taken,” Farooq Amin, the brother of two of the victims, told The Independent on Friday.
Nearly two years after the tragedy, survivors have decided to file a lawsuit against Airbnb and the owner of the chalet on White Lake Beach in New York, where three of their family members are said to have died, in August 2022, according to British media.
On that day, Rahul and Rahala Amin and their four adult children Naeema, Farooq, Nasreen and Basir, as well as Naeema’s husband, Afridi Haider, 34, were enjoying their second day at the lake when the 30-year-old tried to reach the floating swimming platform installed in the water for visitors.
Except that Afred Haider was not a very good swimmer, just like the rest of the family. But since the water only reached his knees, he continued on his way until he lost his footing when he reached a sudden drop of more than 5 meters in the ground.
“A radical change… that cannot be seen from the shore or from the surface of the water. […] Shocked and surprised by the sudden change in water depth, he began to panic and struggle to stay above water. He was unable to regain his footing, the lawsuit states, according to The Independent.
Screenshot taken from GoFundMe
Meanwhile, Nasreen Amin, 21, and his brother Basir, 18, tried to form a “human chain” to help their sister's husband, but they too lost their balance. Farouk Amin almost drowned while trying to help, but in vain.
The three were not pulled from the water and taken to hospital until help arrived, with Basir dying the same day and his brother-in-law the next. His sister Nasreen remained in a coma for a week before she too died, according to the court document.
A GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign, still active, was created at the time.
But according to the Bangladeshi family, Airbnb and the chalet owner were negligent in “encouraging” guests to use the swimming platform without installing signs warning of a “danger zone” in the lake, British media reported.
Additionally, the home was advertised as “safe” and “emphasized the lake and lake-related activities offered to guests,” according to the lawsuit.
“We know we can’t prevent everything and protect everyone, but if we can help at least one family or save one life, we are getting closer to our goal,” Farouk Amin told The Independent.
