A New York family reportedly filed a lawsuit Thursday against Airbnb, accusing it of 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 reality that they are no longer with us. Every day is a struggle as we deal with the overwhelming grief… We believe this tragedy could have been avoided if proper precautions had been put in place,” Faruque Amin, the brother of two of the victims, told The Independent on Friday.
Nearly two years after the tragedy, survivors have reportedly decided to file a lawsuit with one voice against Airbnb and the owner of the cottage on the shores of White Lake, in New York State, where three members of their family allegedly died in August 2022, according to the British media outlet.
On that day, Rahul and Rahala Amin, their four adult children Nahima, Faruque, Nasrin and Basir and Nahima’s husband Afrid Haider, 34, were enjoying their second day at the lake when the 30-year-old allegedly tried to reach a floating swimming platform set up in the water for visitors.
Except that Afrid Haider was not a good swimmer, just like the rest of the family. But since the water was only up to his knees, he would have continued on his way until he lost his footing when he suddenly reached a dip of more than 5 meters in the ground.
“A drastic change… neither visible from the shore nor 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 says, according to The Independent.
Screenshot from GoFundMe
It was then that Nasrin Amin, 21, and her brother Basir, 18, allegedly tried to form a “human chain” to help their sister’s husband, before losing their footing in turn. Faruque Amin reportedly nearly drowned while trying to help in turn, in vain.
It was only when help arrived that the trio was pulled out of the water and taken to hospital, where young Basir died the same day and his brother-in-law the next day. His sister Nasrin remained in a coma for a week before dying in turn, according to the court document.
A GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign, which is still active, was set up at the time.
But the family from Bangladesh alleges that Airbnb and the owner of the chalet were negligent in “encouraging” guests to use the swimming platform without installing signs to warn of the presence of a “danger zone” in the lake, the British media reported.
Additionally, the home was advertised as “safe” and “emphasized the lake and lake-related activities available to guests,” the lawsuit says.
“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 closer to our goal,” Faruque Amin told The Independent.
