$300K settlement ends wrongful death lawsuit

Two defendants in a wrongful death lawsuit will pay $300,000 total to end the action that stemmed from a man’s death in a hot tub in 2021, The Post and Courier newspaper reported.

BlueWater Resort in Myrtle Beach and Jade Security Inc., its contract security firm, were sued by W. Thomas Frenchek and Karin Frenchek, of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, after their son Jacob, 30, drowned in a BlueWater hot tub. Court documents show that the Frencheks alleged that the defendants were responsible for their son’s wrongful death, were negligent over the monitoring of BlueWater’s security and failed to give him a reasonable level of care during the time he was in the hot tub.

The companies denied any negligence in court filings.

Under the terms of the settlement approved Friday by Circuit Judge Jessica Salvini, Jade’s insurance carrier will pay the Frencheks $100,000, and BlueWater’s will contribute $200,000, the newspaper reported. The couple’s attorneys will receive at least a third of the amount, and $20,000 will be donated to charity.

Jacob Frenchek died after suffering a six-minute-long seizure while in the hot tub on March 22, 2021.

Despite BlueWater touting that it offered 24-hour security, including the common area where the hot tub was, Frenchek’s body went undiscovered for about 45 minutes, The Post and Courier reported.

No attorneys representing the parties involved could be immediately reached for comment.