The grieving mothers of three Americans who died of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning while staying at an AirBnB in Mexico City are considering suing the rental company.
Kandace Florence and Jordan Marshall, both 28, and Courtez Hall, 33, were found dead inside the vacation rental after traveling to Mexico to celebrate Dia de los Muertos in October.
In an interview with BNC News On Wednesday, their mothers came out publicly for the first time since their children’s deaths and said Airbnb should require carbon monoxide detectors to be placed in all of their rentals.
“I can’t understand why my daughter isn’t here today,” said Freida Florence, Kandace’s mother. “There are no excuses. There’s no excuse, it costs $30. If I had known, I would have bought it for her.
Local autopsy reports confirmed that the three friends had died from the deadly toxin. Atlanta-based mothers’ attorney L. Chris Stewart said it was caused by a broken water heater.
The lawsuit, which has not yet been filed, demands that Airbnb mandate carbon monoxide detectors in its properties. Stewart told NBC that the rental giant has already been sued over the same issue.
Airbnb already regulates guns and parties, the attorney said, making adding the detectors a no-brainer. Stewart said he believed the company didn’t need the detectors because it would force them to pull listings from its website, which would cut into its profits.
“It’s always a question of money. They only talk about money, that’s why this lawsuit is coming,” he said.
In a statement to NBC, Airbnb said Mexico City property has been suspended and has been in contact with the US Embassy in Mexico.
“This is a terrible tragedy, and our hearts go out to the families and loved ones who mourn such an unimaginable loss,” the company said. “Our priority at this time is to support those affected as the authorities investigate what happened, and we stand ready to assist them with their investigations however we can.”
Airbnb added that it already offers smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to all eligible hosts and has distributed more than 200,000. They added that all of their hosts are encouraged to confirm they have both.
For these mothers, however, that’s just not enough.
“We will never be able to get our babies back. But we really want to make sure no other family has to deal with this,” said Jennifer Marshall, mother of Jordan Marshall. “The way we lost our children, I mean, it’s devastating. You go from grief to rage because it could have been so easily avoided.
On the night of October 30, Kadance Florence was talking on the phone with her boyfriend when she said she was not feeling well and said something was wrong, WAVY reported. The call was then dropped and Florence’s boyfriend, who was back in the United States, could not reach her.
He contacted the Airbnb host to request a social check and the police showed up at the apartment that evening. Officers noticed a strong smell of gas and found the three friends dead.
Both Marshall and Hall were educators in New Orleans, and Florence was a small business owner from Virginia Beach.
“Those are the three examples of what parents want their children to be. We lost a grade 12 teacher, a grade seven teacher, an entrepreneur who built a business from scratch. That’s what we want. These people were helping the next generation,” Stewart said.
In May, three American tourists died of carbon monoxide poisoning while staying at a luxury Sandals resort in the Bahamas.
Tennessee couple Michael Phillips, 68, and Robbie Phillips, 65, and Florida resident Vincent Chiarella, 64, were found dead at Sandals Emerald Bay Resort in Great Exuma on May 6.
The victims were found unresponsive in their bedrooms after seeking medical help for feeling ill the previous night before returning to their villas.
In the United States alone, about 430 people die each year from accidental CO poisoning and another 50,000 visit emergency rooms each year, according to the CDC.
The gas is particularly dangerous because it is odorless, colorless and tasteless and can kill people and animals that are exposed within minutes to high concentration levels.
Carbon monoxide can be found in CO fumes produced by “furnaces, vehicles, generators, stoves, lanterns, gas stoves, or burning charcoal or wood,” the CDC said. .
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