Family sues Airbnb after toddler dies of fentanyl overdose in rental

A family whose 19-month-old daughter died of a fentanyl overdose while staying at an Airbnb during a vacation in Florida has filed a wrongful death suit against the home rental company and the property owner.

Lydie and Boris Lavenir were vacationing in Wellington, Florida, with their children and found their daughter, Enora, in her bed just hours after their arrival. The family told the Washington Post that her face was blue with white foam coming from her lips and that when paramedics arrived after calling 911 it was too late to save the toddler. Her death was deemed to be the result of exposure to fentanyl according to reports by the Palm Beach County medical examiner and an independent toxicology report, per the Post. 

It’s unclear how the girl came into contact with fentanyl at the rental, as investigators were unable to find any traces of fentanyl at the rental home or on the parents’ belongings. According to the Post, an investigator wrote in the latest report, “I am currently unable to determine how the child Enora Lavenir ingested the fentanyl.”

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The family’s wrongful death lawsuit names Airbnb, the property owners, and the prior renter as defendants. They allege the rental company and vacation homeowner failed to ensure the safety of the property, and claim the prior renter was negligent in allowing drugs to be used at the property and leaving behind drugs or drug residue.

An Airbnb spokesperson told FOX Business, “Our hearts go out to the Lavenir family and their loved ones for this devastating loss.”

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The prior renter who booked the rental home through Vrbo admitted to police that they had hosted a party at the property where cocaine was present, but investigators were reportedly unable to link those drugs to the girl’s overdose and her death has been deemed accidental.

Fentanyl is an opioid that can be fatal in small doses and has caused thousands of deaths around the country as overdoses surged in recent years. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that fentanyl and similar synthetic opioids caused 71,238 deaths in 2021 – a dramatic increase from 57,834 the year before.