Official Statement for Camayan Beach Resort on Jellyfish Incident

We at Camayan Beach Resort and Hotel pride ourselves for providing our guests with the highest quality service.

It was not our intention to discuss this matter in public, however, with the continuing negative intent and damaging action from the family of the injured boy, regrettably, we find it in our interest as well as the interest of our patrons and the whole of Subic Bay Freeport Tourism, to clarify this matter through Mr. and Mrs. Boutet’s medium of choice.

Here is the detailed account of the incident. It is entirely verifiable and is supported with statements from some of the people involved, hospital records, statements, security records and documents and including CCTV footage, all of which can be shared should circumstance merit.

30 Nov 2012 (Fri) Boutet Family arrival and check-in for overnight stay (original check out on 01 Dec 2012)

01 Dec 2012 (Saturday)

Beachfront

• By 8:30am there were Four (4) certified Lifeguards on duty at Camayan Beach. Two were patrolling the beach – Lifeguards C & E, and two were in the watch tower – Lifeguards J & R.
• At about 8:50am the child (Enzo) was swimming in the shallow waters together with his yaya.
• The father was also swimming together with the older son. The mother was also within the area and was wading in the shallow water not far away from the family.
• While patrolling the beach, about 20 meters away, Lifeguard C noticed unusual behavior between the Yaya and the boy, Enzo.
• At the same time, without any call for help from the family, Lifeguard E started to approach to check on them.
• Lifeguard C heard the boy crying so he grabbed his first aid kit and followed within seconds.
• Note: the distance between the family and the lifeguard tower and first aid cabana is approximately 10 meters
• 8:58am an incident of a jellyfish sting was announced over VHF radio by Lifeguard C who asked for the Nurse.
• Lifeguard E arrived at the scene and Lifeguard C followed within seconds.
• The child was taken out of water by his Yaya. He was crying.
• Lifeguard E took the boy in his arms and started to apply first aid – the boy was still crying. Because the jelly was colorless, he sprinkled sand over the leg so he can better assess the jellyfish on the boy’s skin. Both parents were at the scene and were watching. Vinegar was then applied to neutralize and prevent further release of stinging cells before they can start to remove the remains of the jelly from the skin.
• The maid claimed to also have been stung and asked for some vinegar. She was given the bottle of vinegar and poured it into her hand and without a word, grabbed a handful of sand and, trying to help, started briskly rubbing on the leg of the boy trying to remove the jellyfish in an upward and downward manner. Both lifeguards were surprised and Lifeguard C quickly stopped her but this probably had already caused more sting cells to activate. The boy cried even more until he fainted in the arms of our Lifeguard E.

First Aid Station

• Lifeguard C ran to the first aid cabana, Lifeguard E carried the child and ran behind him and the parents and the yaya followed both of them.
• Lifeguard C half filled with distilled water the humidifier bottle in the Oxygen dispenser and installed a Pediatric nasal oxygen tube (cannula) and placed it on the child.
• The boy was out for some seconds but immediately regained consciousness after the oxygen was administered by Lifeguard C.
• Mr. & Mrs. Boutet were beside the child, fanning him and when he came to and saw them, he immediately cried and the father took him in his arms.
• The child was now breathing normally so the oxygen was removed. The approximate time under breathing assistance was less than two (2) minutes. The child never stopped breathing.
• Lifeguard C brought an ice bag and both lifeguards applied it to the affected areas to further reduce the pain while the boy was in the arms of the father.
• 2 minutes later, the SBMEI Registered Nurse, Nurse L arrived at the scene. The family was waiting inside the first aid station. The boy was now with his mother still crying and conscious. Nurse L checked his vital signs, appearance, skin color and noted that all were normal.
• The family decided to take the child to hospital, in their own car. Not knowing the way they asked to be guided in convoy. Nurse L then told SBMEI Head Nurse to arrange with a private hospital to receive them. The Head Nurse made arrangements for St. Jude to receive the patient and ensure that an emergency doctor was available to meet them.
• While they were preparing to leave, Nurse L collected Patient Information so that this could be submitted ahead of the family’s arrival at the hospital. She asked Mrs. Emily Boutet to fill up and sign the Injury/Illness Report. Mrs. Boutet questioned the process but complied. This form was accomplished and signed at around 09:05am (see document). This information was relayed to the hospital by the Head Nurse.

Reception area prior to departure for Hospital

• As Mrs. Emily Boutet carried her son from the first aid station towards the reception building and the parking area, Nurse L suggested to the family that she could ride with them so she can give further assistance to the child on the way to the hospital, if required, and give them directions as well. They agreed.
• Mrs. Emily Boutet, with her son, went inside Reception and sat in a chair in front of the check in counter while waiting for her husband to get their car. After a few minutes, she sat her son in the chair and approached the Supervisor at the desk.
• Mrs. Emily Boutet said that they were supposed to check out but because of her son’s incident they would not be checking out as originally planned. The Supervisor reconfirmed their current room number and advised that the room would not be available for an extended stay but instead they will upgrade them from standard to deluxe room. Mrs. Boutet retorted with “Okay and I expect that to be complimentary”.
• The supervisor then advised her that she will confirm her request with the management and at the least a significant discount would be extended. Mrs. Boutet acknowledge the advise and responded “yeah, yeah ok and I will go to the hospital first”. (cctv footage available)
• They left the resort at 09:30am. During this time the child was not crying anymore and was sitting with his mother and brother in the back seat.

En Route to Hospital, At the Hospital, Olongapo Drugstore, BPI ATM

• The hospital records show that they arrived and were attended to by the emergency team at 10:15am and they were discharged with prescriptions for topical cream, antihistamine and antibiotics at 11:05am.
• They then asked Nurse L to take them to a drugstore. They did not have sufficient cash so they were not able to purchase all of the medicines.
• At their request the nurse directed them to a BPI ATM machine.

Shopping At Puregold

• After withdrawing money, they told the Nurse that they were returning to the resort. En route, the child asked for “Yakult” drink so they stopped at Puregold Duty Free Store and shopped for approximately 15-20 minutes.
• Both children were left in the car with our Nurse. Enzo told the nurse that he was no longer in pain. Both children were just talking with the nurse while waiting for their parents to return from shopping.
• Both boys were well behaved and Enzo said he was sleepy and the nurse arranged a pillow which was in the car so he can be more comfortable.
• Upon the return of the parents from shopping, Mrs. Emily Boutet saw a Mercury drug at Puregold so she bought the rest of the medicines.
• Prior to leaving the parking area of Puregold, Mrs. Emily Boutet looked for and could not find a blue back-pack bag belonging to her older son, Angelo.
• Nurse L together with SBMEI Head Nurse and the hospital confirmed that the bag was in the hospital.

2nd Visit to Hospital to pick-up Blue Back-pack Bag

• From Puregold parking lot, the family returned to the hospital to pick up the blue back-pack bag while Enzo was sitting quietly in the backseat with his mother.
• Mrs. Emily Boutet recovered the bag from the information desk of St. Jude Hospital and they then arrived at the resort at about 12:20pm as registered in the security station. The child, Enzo slept all the way.

Back to Resort / Parking Area

• Upon arrival, while still in the parking lot, the Nurse was dismissed by Mrs. Emily Boutet by saying “okay na kami Nurse, thank you” and she gave her a box of chocolate. She accepted it and thanked the family and bid them goodbye.

Back to Resort / Reception

• At around 12:21pm, the family went to the front office and they were greeted by the two front office staff and the Supervisor. The Supervisor asked, if the hospital visit went well and how the child was doing. The child was sitting on the check in counter. She replied, much better and offered to show the affected area if the supervisor was interested. She asked “do you want to see it, do you want to see it?”
• She said yes and Mrs. Emily Boutet proceeded to present it to her by removing the towel which was covering the leg. They had a bit of a chat and the supervisor extended words of comfort to the child.
• Then, since the discussion about their extended stay had not confirmed prior to their departure for the hospital, the Supervisor recalled the conversation and inquired “Ma’am have you decided to stay another night?”.
• Mrs. Emily Boutet’s reaction to the Supervisor’s question was astonishing to all those watching. At the top of her voice, she retorted “what do you think? Do you think we will go home with this, with what happened to my child? He even cannot lay down on the car! Put yourself in my shoes, put yourself in my shoes! Think like a Mom! Think like a Mom!” then she raised her concern about the non-availability of ambulance, oxygen, rescue response, not informing guests about the jellyfish, of being rude, incompetent lifeguards and unsympathetic people.
• While she was shouting at the Supervisor, the other Guest Service Associates were attending to and checking in other resort guests.
• When she had finished, the Supervisor handed the new room key and said, “Ma’am we will extend 50% discount and we can just settle everything upon check out and I am really sorry for the inconvenience” (about having to change rooms). Mrs. Emily Boutet, took the key and started to scream again and told them “you call this an inconvenience?! You call this an inconvenience?! You know what?! I am not ……” and then she left to go to her new room with her whole family but prior to leaving, she said “I want to talk to your Manager”.
• They checked in their new upgraded room at 12:37pm (cctv footage available)

Visit from GM, Beach Manager and Supervisor

• The Supervisor and Beach Manager reported the incident to the GM.
• At around 1:31pm, the GM went to meet and personally check on the guest with both management members.
• The husband Mr. Tony Boutet answered the door, the children were watching television while lying in the bed. The GM asked if they can come in and Mrs. Emily Boutet welcomed them and visited with them on the verandah of their room.
• The GM introduced the Beach Manager and referred to the Supervisor as the OIC Manager, she responded with , “ I thought you were just a receptionist”, “are you really a Manager?” “Do you even remember what you told me?” “you know what? you don’t even have empathy.” “not even asking how my child was!.” The Supervisor kept silent.
• Mrs. Boutet reiterated the complaints she made at the reception for the (alleged) non-availability of ambulance, oxygen, rescue response, not informing about the jellyfish, of being rude, incompetent lifeguards and unsympathetic people, ISO certification and then she got mad at the GM saying “I’m sorry Toni but the way you look, your body gesture, you know what that means? it means you are being defensive, I know that because I handle HR, I read people, that’s my job and I’m also an Operations Manager.”
• The GM listened to all her concerns and then advised them that the room was with compliments of the Resort and bid them a good day.

Chocolates for the Lifeguards

• Some time after 5pm, Mrs. Boutet thanked the lifeguards for a job well done and gave them two boxes of chocolate.

02 Dec 2012 (Sunday)

Morning prior Departure @ Room and Sandbar

• At around 8:15am, Nurse L, who ha attended to Enzo, called the room and asked for permission to visit and check on the boy. Mrs. Emily Boutet invited her over and she checked on the boy and then left.
• At approx. 9:25am, the Beach Manager joined the family at the Sandbar for coffee together with a certain Pepe, a Brazilian resident of SBFZ who was also the godfather of the child.
• The godfather suggested that they talk to the GM but the Beach Manager advised them that he was not in the property at the time but that he will pass the request of the family to talk to him before they left.

Morning prior Departure @ Telephone Call with GM and COO

• At around 10:00am, the GM called them via the hotel landline and spoke to them while they were inside their room. In the course of the conversation, Mrs. Emily Boutet told the GM in a disappointed tone, “you are not even here to personally see us off and present to us a collateral package for all this trouble you have caused us!?” “what kind of a GM are you? and where is the collateral package? You should have prepared this and ready to present it to us!”
• The GM responded “ I’m sorry but I do not understand what you mean with collateral package.” Mrs. Boutet enumerated the known expenses such as the medicine, the gas when they used their own car to go to the hospital, the doctor and future expenses, more doctors visit in Asian Hospital, maybe a trauma session to deal with the shock, incidental and other damages.
• The GM then politely advised Mrs. Emily Boutet that the resort has extended them assistance to the best of their ability. The phone was taken by the husband, Mr. Tony Boutet. He likewise demanded a collateral damage package. Mentioned how much money the resort will be paying them if this happened in Europe.
• The GM gave the same response. Mrs. Emily Boutet came on the phone once more and in an agitated voice, demanded to speak to somebody else who was in a position to handle the situation.
• The GM passed the phone to the COO with whom he was having a meeting.
• The conversation with the COO was the same as that with the GM. It was focused on their expectation to receive a "collateral damage package".
• They were politely advised of the Resort’s limit of liability at which time Mrs. Boutet became very angry, cried and screamed, and demanded that staff be terminated because they were incompetent, to put a standby ambulance on site, train lifeguards, inform people about jellyfish and finally ending with the threat "I will destroy Camayan Beach Resort".
• The phone was passed to the husband and the conversation was ended by Mr. Tony Boutet. They checked out and left the premises after 12:00noon.

Throughout this event, Mr. & Mrs. Boutet were present and witnessed how Camayan Beach Resort first aid and management team responded, attended to the situation and their every need thereafter until the demand for "collateral damage package" in an amount we see best not to disclose, was raised.

This is an accurate and documented account of the incident. Throughout the event, and despite Mrs. Boutet’s erratic and offensive behavior, the staff and management of Camayan Beach Resort treated the entire family with respect and professionalism. It is clear that they made every effort to care for Enzo, expressed sincere empathy for his experience, and offered the family a complimentary night in the hotel out of kindness, not obligation. We believe that their demand for a “collateral damage package” is excessive and inappropriate. We are publishing this accurate account of events in response to Mrs. Boutet’s threat to “destroy Camayan Beach Resort” and her subsequent actions.

Source: Subic Times