An Ontario mother and son decided to have a summer holiday in the Dominican Republic and went to a resort in Punta Cana in July of this year. However just two days after arriving, the nine-year-old boy was severely cut on jagged edges in its pool. Caitlin Krille, of Richmond Hill, Ont., said her son was asked if he wanted to take part in a swimming game in the pool. She said he had swim goggles but was told to remove them. “My son put them on his head but the entertainer (at the pool) said, ‘No goggles allowed, that’s cheating.’ So, my son took them off and jumped in,” said Krille. The race began and the boy was swimming underwater when he got off track in the pool. He slammed face first into a pool bar stool that was missing tiles and had jagged edges and sustained severe, deep cuts to his face. “When he came out of the water, I didn’t know if he had his eyes hurt or his throat has been sliced. The blood was pouring down his face. It was awful and people were screaming,” the child’s mother said. Krille said her son was rushed to hospital and an orthopedic surgeon was required to give him 10 stitches. “There were deep lacerations on his forehead and a huge hole opening above his nose and his nose bridge,” she said. Following the accident, Krille said she noticed tiles had fallen off other areas in the pool and jagged edges were exposed, creating multiple hazards. “The entire pool is missing pieces, which leaves sharp concrete underneath,” she said. Upset about her son and concerned for others, Krille demanded resort staff shut the pool down. “I want (the resort) to drain the pool and do the repairs needed so no other family has to go through this,” she said. The pool was at the Ocean El Faro Resort. CTV News reached out to management there but did not get a response. Krille had booked her trip through Sunwing Vacations. A spokesperson from the travel company told CTV News that the “safety and well-being of our customers is a priority.” “Our team is currently reviewing the circumstances surrounding this matter,” it said. Insurance key when traveling abroad: lawyer According to personal injury lawyer Nainesh Kotak, of Kotak Personal Injury Lawyers, if you’re injured outside of Canada and wanted to make a claim for personal injury, it can be very complicated. Kotak said while each case is different, the law of that jurisdiction applies in that jurisdiction. “Many countries are known for significant backlogs in their system, some are not as fair as ours and some are also more easily influenced,” he added. The personal injury lawyer said it’s important to have travel medical insurance when outside of Canada to make sure you have coverage in case of a medical emergency. Krille, meanwhile, was able to find out that the pool at the resort was closed, and repairs were made to the damaged tiles. She said her son has recovered but will have scars for life, adding that families must remain cautious when travelling to resorts outside of Canada. When travelling outside of Canada it’s also important to know some countries may not have the same safety standards we have here.
