“It got to a point where the shocks were so unbearable that I’m praying at this time. I’m praying for both of us,” Lizzette Zambrano says.
A woman still grappling with the tragic death of her husband, who was electrocuted in a hot tub while their family was vacationing in Mexico, recounts the heartbreaking incident and how their son narrowly missed the same fate.
On June 11, Lizzette Zambrano and her husband, Jorge Guillen from El Paso, Texas, were staying at the Sonoran Sea Resort in Puerto Peñasco.
Recalling that dreadful evening, Zambrano, who has since filed a wrongful death lawsuit, shared through her attorney in a video that she and Guillen decided to enjoy the resort pool before heading to the beach.
“We were there with my cousin and her boyfriend for about maybe 20 minutes,” Zambrano shares in the video. “There were already other family members there. My brother, the kids were there.”
“He loved the beach,” Zambrano fondly remembers, “so after a few minutes in the pool, he turned to me and said, ‘Let’s go to the beach before it gets too dark.’”
After spending some time enjoying the view, the couple decided to head back. On their way, they spotted their son and cousin relaxing in the hot tub and decided to join them for a bit.
“We hopped in the hot tub and my cousin mentioned that we had just missed the bubbles,” Zambrano says.
Her son and cousin eventually left the hot tub, but Lizzette and Jorge chose to stay a bit longer.
Just 10 minutes after their son got out, the couple felt the initial electric shock.
“The last thing Jorge said was, ‘oh s—,’” recounts Zambrano, herself already feeling the electric current.
According to Zambrano’s lawsuit, after she saw Jorge “keel over” due to the electrical shock, she tried to pull him out. However, upon touching him and the water, she felt the shocking electrocution as well.
“I couldn’t move,” she says. “The shocks became unbearable. I found myself praying for both of us, seeking divine intervention.”
Eventually, her uncle managed to pull her out of the tub.
Tragically, Jorge sank to the bottom of the hot tub. Family members had difficulties rescuing him due to the powerful electric shocks.
He was eventually pulled out by using a metal pole wrapped in towels to bypass the electricity.
“What amazes me is that so many people were praying and trying to help,” shares Zambrano, tearfully. “Everyone played a part in trying to save us.”
Zambrano herself was injured and had to receive hospital treatment. She has since physically recovered but continues to fight for justice through her lawsuit and public appearances.
Her lawsuit, filed in the El Paso County District Court, names Casago LLC, the vacation rental facilitator, holding them accountable for the faulty wiring that sent an electrical current into the hot tub. She also alleges that a nearby security guard did nothing when asked to shut off the power.
In a statement, Casago denied responsibility, attributing it instead to the homeowners association in charge of maintaining the resort’s common areas.
“The Sonoran Sea is a condo resort, and the homeowners association is responsible for all common areas, including maintenance of the swimming pool, hot tubs, and grounds,” the company asserted. “Casago is merely a vacation rental company and not involved in the maintenance of the resort.”
The homeowners association has not responded to requests for comment.
Zambrano mentions how her community rallied around her, with a GoFundMe page raising more than $57,000 for the couple’s families by June 24.
“I urge everyone to be more vigilant when choosing a vacation destination,” she advises in the video. “Ensure there’s a hospital nearby and the staff is well-trained.”
“I want accountability for what happened. This should never have occurred. I seek justice and change to prevent such tragedies in the future,” she concludes.
