The children of a Kauai security guard, who died in 2019 after being stranded during heavy rain at a remote post on Mark Zuckerberg’s sprawling Koolau Ranch on Kauai, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against companies that own, operate, manage and control the properties that Zuckerberg has amassed.

Rodney Gerard Medeiros, 70, was assigned Aug. 4, 2019, to work a 12-hour shift at a remote beach security post on the Zuckerberg ranch as a security guard for SPACA Inc.

Zuckerberg, co-founder and CEO of Facebook, now known as Meta Platforms, and wife Priscilla Chan were visiting the ranch that day, according to the second amended complaint, filed July 13 in the Kauai Circuit Court. (The original was filed Aug. 3, 2021.)

Zuckerberg’s controversial acquisition of several parcels of land includes his late-2021 purchase of 110 acres of agricultural land, which includes most of Ka Loko Reservoir, whose earthen dam broke in 2006, releasing 400 million gallons of water, resulting in seven deaths.

The complaint filed against Pilaa Land LLC, Pilaa International LLC and Limitless Specialty Services Associates LLC (which provides security services for Zuckerberg, Chan and their properties), says Medeiros was working from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 4, 2019.

Medeiros was always driven to and from the post by a security cart. But that day, “it was raining all day and the conditions were very bad, wet and muddy, which is common for that area.”

He waited an hour after his shift ended, and the cart did not arrive since the steep dirt trail was impassable due to the conditions.

The complaint said Medeiros had to walk up the steep East access trail, since the West access trail required crossing a stream that had risen and “was flowing hard.”

The lawsuit alleges the head of security for the ranch, Hank Barriga, said, “We dealt with this transportation issue many times before because it rains out there all the time. … That day, it was just dumping rain.”

While attempting to walk up the muddy access road, to a waiting security guard in a cart at the top of the trail, Medeiros radioed the guard, asking him to turn on the cart’s lights.

But the radio transmission came in garbled, so the guard walked down and found Medeiros leaning against a tree, complaining that his chest hurt.

Barriga contacted the on-property medic, on duty because Zuckerberg and his wife were at the ranch.

The medic eventually got to Medeiros, placed him on a backboard and took him by cart to an area where county paramedics were waiting to take him to the hospital.

He arrived at 9:08 p.m. and died 1:34 a.m. Aug. 5, 2019, of his injuries, the complaint said. A report in The Garden Island newspaper on Kauai said Medeiros died of a heart attack. The Garden Island also reported the family later received a $7,500 check from the Zuckerberg family.

The lawsuit alleges the children, Richard Medeiros, Leila Kuhaula and Ziba Medeiros, have suffered emotional distress due to their father’s loss.

“Koolau Ranch extends our deepest sympathies to the family of Rodney Medeiros for their tragic loss,” Ben LaBolt, spokesperson for the Chan Zuckerberg Family Office said in a written statement. “Mr. Medeiros was an employee of a security company which provided services to Koolau Ranch. When notified by employees of the security company that Mr. Medeiros was in need of assistance, Koolau Ranch personnel immediately called 911 and contacted county emergency personnel who dispatched an ambulance.

“The Ranch also sent its on-premises medic to the site to provide help,” the statement said. “The on-site medic transported Mr. Medeiros, who was conscious and communicative, to the ambulance, which rushed Mr. Medeiros to Wilcox Hospital. A security manager, Hank Barriga, went to the hospital to meet Mr. Medeiros as soon as he heard about the incident.”

Koolau Ranch said, “The $7,500 contribution was given by Mark and Priscilla to the Medeiros family specifically to help with burial and funeral expenses.”

The complaint also alleges the defendants were negligent and reckless and/or careless, failing to train and supervise their employees and implement safety policies and procedures to protect workers.

It alleges they failed to maintain safe and secure passage through the access trails and failed to modify or improve and secure safe passage, and failed to maintain a safe worksite.

The family alleges negligent and/or intentional infliction of severe emotional distress.

Koolau Ranch said all vehicles at the ranch are professionally maintained on an ongoing basis, and it has a training program all drivers must undergo in order to operate vehicles at the ranch.

Defendant Limitless Specialty Services denies in its Aug. 15 answer to the second amended complaint the allegations of wrongful death, negligence and intentional infliction of severe emotional distress.