A French family has been left heartbroken after their 19-month-old daughter died during their Miami vacation from an accidental fentanyl overdose.
Lydie and Boris Lavenir, of Guadeloupe – a French island – never imagined they would lay their 19-month-old daughter Enora down for a nap and not have her wake up.
Prior to her nap, the little girl was playing in the kitchen with the pots and pans before her parents laid her down for a two-hour nap.
Unfortunately for the family, when Lydie went to wake up Enora, she found her daughter foaming at the mouth and blue in the face inside their rented Wellington, Florida, lake house in August 2021.
‘Enora’s dead,’ the frantic mother screamed, according to the Washington Post.
The family of seven rushed to call 911, but it was too late for little Enora, whose death has since been ruled an accidental overdose of fentanyl.
Lydie and Boris Lavenir, of Guadeloupe – a French island – never imagined they would lay their 19-month-old daughter Enora down for a nap and not have her wake up
Even worse for the family – who had no idea what the highly dangerous drug was – authorities originally made them suspects. However, that quickly changed after both Lydie and Boris tested negative for the drug and investigators couldn’t find a trace of fentanyl in the home.
Investigators and the family were left wondering: Where did the fentanyl come from?
The family is keen to believe the previous renters, who admitted to throwing a cocaine-infused party weeks before they arrived, had something to do with it.
However, investigators aren’t certain and tested several theories. After contacting the former renters, who denied being in possession of any fentanyl, investigators also looked into Enora’s sleeping position and medical history to see if they could find any connection.
The family of seven rushed to call 911, but it was too late for little Enora, whose death has since been ruled an accidental overdose of fentanyl. Even worse for the family – who had no idea what the highly dangerous drug was – authorities originally made them suspects
A culprit was never determined, leading an investigator to rule her heart-wrenching death accidental.
‘I am currently unable to determine how the child Enora Lavenir ingested the fentanyl,’ a final report read. ‘Therefore I am unable to develop probable cause for abuse or neglect leading to the death of Enora. Currently, the manner of death is listed as accidental.’
A Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office representative told the Washington Post the case is currently closed as deputies wait for leads.
The only thing investigators and the family knows for sure: The drug came from inside the Airbnb.
Prior to her nap, the little girl was playing in the kitchen with the pots and pans before her parents laid her down for a two-hour nap
The family is keen to believe the previous renters, who admitted to throwing a cocaine-infused party weeks before they arrived, had something to do with it. The family has sued Airbnb, the property owner, the rental manager, and the former tenants
So far, no charges have been pressed against anyone, but the family is now suing Airbnb, the property owner, the rental manager, and the former tenants, according to the Washington Post.
A legal expert, who spoke with the Washington Post, believes the family will have a hard time pursuing the lawsuit, as it will be difficult to prove the partiers were the source of the drug.
‘They can prove that the child died from fentanyl exposure, but where that fentanyl comes from, linking it to this particular group, that just sounds monstrously difficult under these circumstances,’ University of Florida Law Professor Lars Noah said.
However, the family’s attorney, Thomas Scolaro, isn’t intent on finding the source of the drug, but rather that the Airbnb was negligent and did not properly clean the space between tenants.
‘The only thing we have here is our common sense,’ the lawyer told the Post. ‘It was definitely in that unit, that Airbnb. Which particular person left the drugs is frankly not anything I’m trying to prove. What I want to show is Airbnb provided no cleanup, no warning, no measure of safety for the family.’
The popular short-term rental company has not legally responded to the lawsuit but told the Post: ‘Our hearts go out to the Lavenir family and their loved ones for their devastating loss.’