Family sues Airbnb after 19-month-old dies from fentanyl overdose

A French family is heartbroken after their 19-month-old daughter died of an accidental fentanyl overdose while vacationing in Miami.

Lydie and Boris Lavenir, from Guadeloupe – a French island – never imagined that they would put their 19-month-old daughter Enora down for a nap and she wouldn’t wake up.

Before her nap, the little girl played with the pots and pans in the kitchen before her parents laid her down for a two-hour nap.

Unfortunately for the family, when Lydie went to wake Enora, she found her daughter foaming at the mouth and blue in the face at their rented lakeside home in Wellington, Florida, in August 2021.

“Enora is dead,” the frantic mother yelled, according to the Washington Post.

The family of seven rushed to call 911, but it was too late for little Enora, whose death has since been ruled an accidental fentanyl overdose.

Unfortunately for the family, when Lydie went to wake Enora, she found her daughter foaming at the mouth and blue in the face at their rented lakeside home in Wellington, Florida, in August 2021

Even worse for the family – who had no idea what the highly dangerous drug was – the authorities initially suspected them. That quickly changed, however, after both Lydie and Boris tested negative for the drug and investigators couldn’t find a trace of fentanyl in the home.

Researchers and the family wondered: Where did the fentanyl come from?

The family would like to believe that the previous tenants, who admitted to throwing a cocaine-infused party weeks before their arrival, had something to do with it.

However, researchers are not sure and have tested several theories. After contacting the former tenants, who denied possessing fentanyl, investigators also looked at Enora’s sleeping position and medical history to see if they could find a connection.

The family of seven rushed to call 911, but it was too late for little Enora, whose death has since been ruled an accidental fentanyl overdose. Even worse for the family – who had no idea what the highly dangerous drug was – the authorities initially suspected them

That quickly changed, however, after both Lydie and Boris tested negative for the drug and investigators couldn’t find a trace of fentanyl in the home. The family would like to believe that the previous tenants, who admitted to throwing a cocaine-infused party weeks before they arrived, had something to do with it

No culprit was ever determined, leading an investigator to rule her heartbreaking death by accident.

“I cannot currently determine how the child Enora Lavenir ingested the fentanyl,” a final report read. “Therefore, I can think of no probable reason for the abuse or neglect that led to Enora’s death. Currently, the manner of death is listed as accidental.”

A representative from the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office told the Washington Post that the case is currently closed as deputies await leads.

The only thing that investigators and the family know for sure: the drug came from the Airbnb.

Before her nap, the little girl played in the kitchen with the pots and pans before her parents laid her down for a two-hour nap

The family would like to believe that the previous tenants, who admitted to throwing a cocaine-infused party weeks before their arrival, had something to do with it. The family has sued Airbnb, the owner, the rental manager and the former tenants

So far no one has been charged, but the family is now suing Airbnb, the property owner, the rental manager and the former tenants, according to the Washington Post.

A legal expert, speaking to the Washington Post, believes the family will have a hard time pursuing the lawsuit because it will be difficult to prove that the partygoers were the source of the drug.

“They can prove that the child died from exposure to fentanyl, but where that fentanyl comes from, associating it with this particular group, that just sounds monstrously difficult under these circumstances,” said Lars Noah, a law professor at the University of California. from Florida.

However, the family’s lawyer, Thomas Scolaro, does not intend to find the source of the drug, but rather argues that the Airbnb was negligent and did not properly clean the space between the tenants.

“All we have here is common sense,” the lawyer told the Post. “It was definitely in that unit, that Airbnb. Which specific person left the drugs behind is honestly not something I’m trying to prove. What I want to show is that Airbnb has not issued a cleanup, no warning, no safety measure for the family.”

The popular short-term rental company has not legally commented on the lawsuit, but told the Post: “Our thoughts go out to the Lavenir family and their loved ones for their devastating loss.”