A dad of four died after a ‘Watermelon Mouth’ competition while on holiday with his family, and his wife is now reportedly planning to take legal action against the resort
A dad of four reportedly died after choking while taking part in an eating competition at a family resort. His wife has accused staff at the resort of standing by and doing nothing to help.
Carlos Cerasomma was competing in a game called ‘Boca de Melancia’ (‘Watermelon Mouth’ in English), when the tragedy struck. The 37-year-old businessman ran an IT repair company and was said to be the sole provider for his young family.
Boca de Melancia involved competitors bending down to eat watermelon from a low table as quickly as possible without using their hands. A staff member told Carlos only one piece of watermelon was left before realising the holidaymaker was unresponsive with his head on the table, according to The Sun.
Carlos’ wife Kimberly Santos claims staff at the resort in Sao Pedro, a town in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, are responsible for her husband’s death.
She said there was no emergency medical team present, despite the competition involving food. She claimed that fellow guests stepped in to try and give her husband first aid, but staff and lifeguards did not know how to respond, while a nurse who arrived later did not attempt any procedure.
Carlos lay on the ground for around half an hour before firefighters arrived and took him to hospital, his wife said.
He was pronounced dead at the hospital, with the cause of death recorded as physical asphyxiation caused by airway obstruction.
Kimberly reportedly said she plans to take legal action, and claimed that staff should have noticed the table was too low for her 5ft 11 husband, forcing him into a dangerous position.
The Sao Pedro Thermas Resort has denied the allegations, saying that trained professionals provided immediate first aid, equipment was used and emergency services were called.
The resort said it has supported the family since the incident and is awaiting official conclusions from the authorities.
It did not answer questions about safety rules for the competition or why it reportedly initially described the death as a sudden illness.
Carlos lived in Araras in Sao Paulo state and was the father of four children aged between four months and 14 years.
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