Toronto Man Seeks Accountability After Tragic Vacation Loss
A Toronto man is seeking justice and accountability after a dream vacation turned into a devastating tragedy. Stephen Gougeon has filed a $10-million lawsuit against several companies after his wife, April Gougeon, 41, and their 8-year-old son, Oliver died from food poisoning at a Dominican Republic resort.
For the first time since the December 2023 incident, Gougeon is publicly sharing his story to raise awareness and prevent similar tragedies.
“I don’t want this to happen to anyone else. People need to know the risks and how resorts handle emergencies.” – Stephen Gougeon
Gougeon, his wife April, and their two sons, Oliver and Wesley, arrived at Viva Dominicus Beach by Wyndham Resort shortly after Christmas in 2023. On their first evening, the family dined at the resort’s buffet. By morning, all four fell violently ill with nausea and vomiting.
“We were all throwing up. It progressed to a point where we had to try and seek medical attention,” Gougeon recalled.
Despite their worsening condition, the resort initially refused to send medical help, instructing the family to make their own way to the clinic. Too weak to move, they pleaded for assistance. Hours later, they were finally taken in wheelchairs to the clinic before being transported by ambulance to a hospital.
At the hospital, both April and Oliver’s conditions deteriorated rapidly, experiencing difficulty breathing.
“They degraded, and then my son passed away… and then very shortly after, my wife passed away.”
Gougeon was left to face the heartbreaking task of telling his younger son, Wesley, that their mother and brother were gone.
“It’s the worst thing—a father and a husband will ever have to do.”
A coroner’s report from the Dominican Republic concluded that April and Oliver died from secondary complications related to food poisoning.
Now, the Gougeon family is suing for negligence, naming multiple defendants, including:
✔ Air Transat Holidays & Transat Tours Canada – The company through which the vacation was booked.
✔ Wyndham Hotels – The resort’s operator.
✔ The on-site medical clinic – Where the family initially sought help.
The lawsuit alleges the resort failed to uphold hygiene standards, lacked emergency procedures, and delayed responding to medical distress calls.
“I think what the Gougeon family wants is accountability,” said lawyer Meghan Hull Jacquin. “They’re trying to make something good come out of this horrific tragedy.”
Transat spokesperson Marie-Christine Pouliot expressed condolences but refuted the allegations, stating:
“We choose our suppliers with great care, and the hotel operator has assured us of its full cooperation with authorities in shedding light on these tragic deaths.”
April Gougeon was a respected lawyer, but her greatest role was being a loving mother and wife.
“She was an excellent mother and an excellent wife,” said Gougeon.
Oliver, just 8 years old, had a passion for art and drawing.
“I miss him terribly.”
Through his grief, Gougeon hopes his story sparks change in the way resorts handle medical emergencies.
“Resorts need to have better medical policies so that no one else has to experience what I have to live with—for the rest of my life.”