Cairo Winitana, 8, from Sydney, was found unresponsive in a garden bed at the Club Wyndham Denarau Island resort in Fiji. Photo / Supplied
Cairo Winitana, 8, from Sydney, was found unresponsive in a garden bed at the Club Wyndham Denarau Island resort in Fiji. Photo / Supplied
An Australian tourist claims he received an electric shock from a light fixture at the same luxury resort where an eight-year-old boy was electrocuted.
Cairo Winitana, from New Zealand but living in Sydney, died last week on the grounds of the Club Wyndham Denarau Island resort, where his family wasstaying on holiday.
The boy was chasing frogs in the five-star resort’s flower garden when he is said to have touched a light that delivered him a fatal electric shock, 9 News reported.
An Australian tourist who visited the resort paradise last year claims he too received an electric shock after touching an exposed light.
He shared a photo showing wires draped between lamp posts, which he says were wet from the rain when he touched one.
He told the publication he believed the child had been fatally injured after innocently playing with frogs near a bolt which was screwed into the ground where a live current was coming from.
“As we were walking through the gardens we just saw this boy face down in the garden,” Meier, 24, said.
“My uncle went up to him and we were trying to tap him on the shoulder to see if he was responsive and he wasn’t moving.”
He explained that his uncle received an electric shock as he assisted Cairo, before bystanders rushed to help.
The child’s mother, Amber de Thierry, was soon located by fellow holiday-makers, with Meier describing her intense distress.
“Eventually the mum turned up and she was screaming, crying, calling out to her son Cairo. She had one of her relatives hugging her,” he said.
“We were all just sitting around hoping this little boy is going to wake up after a couple of shots of this defibrillator.”
Meanwhile, Mr Rodas told the Telegraph the child had been “burnt” and that there was a “black mark on his leg”, and described how “time just stood still” as onlookers desperately hoped in vain for a miracle.
An Australian tourist claims he received an electric shock from one of these light fixtures at Club Wyndham Denarau. Picture/Nine
A post mortem examination on Tuesday day confirmed Cairo’s cause of death was electrocution, as previously suspected.
The resort has meanwhile described the death as a “tragic accident”, and shared a message of support for the family.
“We have expressed our heartfelt condolences to the family and our thoughts remain with them at this time,” a Wyndham Destinations Asia Pacific spokesperson told 9 News.
“Our management team is currently conducting a thorough investigation into the incident and co-operating with the police and authorities.”
A shattered Ms de Thierry has also shared an emotional tribute to her beloved boy on social media.
“I loved you my son, from the moment I found out I was carrying you and will love you forever more my beautiful blue eyes,” she posted on social media along with a picture of her son.
Loved ones have since set up at GoFundMe page to help Ms de Thierry and her partner Clarke Winitana bring Cairo’s body home.
“As you could all imagine this is a very devastating loss for our family,” relative Glenys Wana wrote.
“We humbly invite you to offer support for both Amber and Clarke as they navigate through this unimaginable nightmare they are now forced to live with.
“We all know Clarke and Amber to be the most loving, kind hearted and genuine people.”
More than $22,000 has been raised as of Tuesday afternoon, with the money to be used for travel and funeral expenses and to support the family as they grieve.
The family is believed to be from New Zealand originally, but live in Sydney’s south west.
