'One in a million' dad William Howell found dead in Las Vegas hotel room just hours after seeing paramedics

A 'one in a million' dad was found dead in a hotel room just hours after being seen by paramedics who could have saved him, a new court case claims. William Howell passed away in Las Vegas after falling ill while boarding his flight home on August 30, 2023.

The lawsuit said Mr Howell, a type-1 diabetic, fell seriously ill while preparing to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to the UK from Harry Reid International Airport. However, despite being seen by paramedics at the airport, he was allowed to return to the hotel.

Staff found 37-year-old William dead the following day - after he succumbed to a treatable medical condition. Now, the 37-year-old's wife Emma - who was pregnant with their second child when he died - is taking Aria Resort & Casino, its security team, as well as an ambulance company and its crew, to court.

The lawsuit said after Oxford-educated Mr Howell fell ill, he was seen by medics Alexandra Gangemi and Dominique Johnson at 8.46pm. The medics took his vitals and noted his elevated blood sugar levels, according to The Mirror. However, the suit claims they "spent no more than two minutes" on the incident before Mr Howell was allowed to sign an electronic form refusing medical transport.

The court documents go on to claim the ambulance staff "did not properly inform decedent (Mr Howell) of the consequences of failing to seek attention, did not properly assess decedent's mental capacity, did not perform the proper testing and did not follow policies and procedures".

After being seen, Mr Howell was allowed to take an Uber ride to the Aira Casino Hotel, where he had been staying, and reportedly fell out of the vehicle when he arrived. And although hotel staff were informed of his medical condition, they allegedly ignored clear signs of his serious condition.

He was assisted to his former room by security staff, before being left alone. The following day, when he failed to arrive to meet his waiting wife at Heathrow Airport, his family contacted the Aria and told them to check on him. Mr Howell, who worked for computer firm Cisco, was found dead at 12.24pm - nearly 14 hours after he was last seen.

His cause of death was later confirmed and recorded by the Las Vegas medical examiner as diabetic ketoacidosis, a treatable condition with timely medical attention. His wife and sons, Louis and Jack, have now filed a five-count civil lawsuit in Nevada's Eighth Judicial District Court, naming Aria, its parent company MGM Resorts International, Community Ambulance, the hotel's security firm, and the two medics as defendants.

A crowdfunder appeal has now been launched in his memory, raising money for diabetes charity Breakthrough T1D. A friend wrote on the page: "Will was one In a million and his loss was and will always be felt by every one that had the privilege to have met and known him.

"His thirst for life was like no-one else I've ever met. For anyone that knew Will and even those that didn't, this is such an important charity, please join us in honouring Will and donating anything you can. We miss you Will."