Ex-Yankees Player Files Lawsuit Over Son’s Death at Costa Rica Resort

Former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner has filed a wrongful death lawsuit following his 14-year-old son's carbon monoxide poisoning at a Costa Rican resort in March. The legal action targets the resort's owners and operators, alleging improper ventilation led to the teenager's death during a family vacation.

A federal wrongful death lawsuit was filed on Friday targeting a Costa Rican resort and its operators following the tragic carbon monoxide poisoning death of former New York Yankees player Brett Gardner’s 14-year-old son.

The legal action, filed in Philadelphia federal court, centers on the March 2025 death of Miller Gardner at the Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort located on Manuel Antonio beach in Costa Rica’s Central Pacific region. Brett Gardner and other family members have brought negligence and wrongful death charges against the resort.

Named as defendants in the case are resort owners and operators David Callan and R. Scott Williams, along with Hawk Opportunity Fund LP, a venture capital company based in Newtown, Pennsylvania. Attempts to reach the defendants for comment were unsuccessful on Friday.

The tragedy occurred while the Gardner family was enjoying a vacation. Miller Gardner lost his life, and Brett Gardner along with other family members became ill from what Costa Rican officials determined was carbon monoxide exposure.

According to Randall Zúñiga, who heads Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency, laboratory results revealed Miller Gardner had dangerous levels of carboxyhemoglobin in his system – a deadly compound that forms when carbon monoxide attaches to blood hemoglobin.

The family’s legal complaint contends that inadequate ventilation in the resort’s machine room allowed carbon monoxide to escape, ultimately causing the teen’s death and harming other family members.

Brett Gardner began his professional baseball journey when the Yankees selected him in the 2005 draft, remaining loyal to the organization throughout his entire career. During his 14-season tenure from 2008 through 2021, he compiled a .256 batting average along with 139 home runs, 578 runs batted in, 274 stolen bases, and 73 triples.