The family of a security guard who worked for Mark Zuckerberg and died of a heart attack while climbing a steep hill has filed a wrongful death action against the creator of Meta.
70-year-old Rodney Medeiros was discovered with his hand on his chest while working a shift at Zuckerberg’s Kualoa Ranch property in Kauai, Hawaii. He was brought to the hospital, but he passed away later that day. On August 4, 2019, he was working at the base of a steep slope on Pilaa Beach when it began to rain, forcing Medeiros to climb the hill alone.
According to his relatives, the security guard’s heart attack after attempting to scale the cliff was so severe that it tore a hole in his heart and he began to bleed out.
Following the unfortunate death of Medeiros, the family was approached by Zuckerberg’s security manager and given money to cover burial expenses. They refused.
The following morning, though, they received a $7,500 gift from Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan.
The family is now suing Pila Land LLC, a firm controlled by Zuckerberg, for negligence and wrongful death.
Rodney’s daughter, Ziba Medeiros, told Hawaii News Now, ‘It’s $7,500 for our father’s life. Is this meant to make it okay?’
The heart attack ripped a hole in his heart, causing him to bleed to death.
Due to the intensity of the rain, the personnel was unable to evacuate Medeiros by ground. Later, he is seen leaning against a tree while grasping his chest.
His daughter stated that the retired sugar cane worker would be transported down the hill and back up on a four-wheeler on a regular basis.
Ben LaBolt, a spokeswoman for Zuckerberg’s family, stated that Medeiros received on-site medical care before being transferred to Wilcox Hospital.
The hospital’s physician said that the physical stress of ascending the hill had a significant role in triggering Medeiros’ heart attack.
She stated, “They would use a Kawasaki Mule to transport him to his station.” Then, after his shift was finished, they would bring him back up by bringing him down.
Michael Green, an attorney for the Medeiros family, stated that upgrading the tires on the four-wheelers that would have taken him to the top of the hill would have cost the ranch $1,000.
‘It didn’t need to happen,’ Green added. He would not have needed to walk. When asked by Zuckerberg’s security guard how much money they would want in the event of Rodney’s death, the Medeiros family could not place a monetary value on Rodney’s life.
Ziba stated, “There’s nothing that will make everything all right.” There is nothing that will bring him back.
Ziba stated that the family had altered its mind, as the $7,500 from the millionaires was no longer sufficient.
In reaction to the event, LaBolt said that the cheque was a gesture from the ranch’s proprietors to Rodney’s family.
The funds were intended “to assist with burial and funeral expenditures,” LaBolt explained.
The communication between the family and Zuckerberg’s security manager is largely responsible for the lawsuit being filed.
The family-recorded chat included the manager stating that the ranch has previously experienced difficulties transferring personnel during severe storms.
The manager is heard stating, “I know it’s happened on past trips.” The guards must ascend on foot.
LaBolt reacted to the suggestion that the ranch had previously experienced problems with rain by stating that the property required all four-wheeler drivers to complete a training program.