'It's not my father's body!' Wrong man sent home after death on family vacation in Cuba
It has been a devastating month for the Jarjour family from Laval, Que., and on Friday, it got worse.
The family's Cuba vacation has turned into a never-ending nightmare after the body of their loved one did not return with the rest of the family.
Instead, someone else was sent in his place and now they're looking for answers as well as their father.
Faraj Jarjour died on March 22 in Varadero, Cuba, and when they went to identify the 68-year-old father of two, a Russian man about 20 years younger was in the casket with tattoos and a full head of hair.
"It was not the body of my father," said Faraj's daughter Miriam Jarjour. "It was another person who didn't look like my father."
"I'm in shock," said son Karam Jarjour. "Like, I cried."
Faraj had a heart attack in the sea on the second day of their family vacation. With no doctor at the hotel they were staying at, the family waited hours for emergency services to arrive and take his body away.
They then called the Canadian Consulate and were told it was closed on the weekend and they could come on Monday.
The consulate also said that the family must pay $10,000 to send Jarjour's body back to Canada.
They scraped the money together and waited three weeks. Now, they have his passport and death certificate but have no idea where his body is.
"It's a body," said Karam. "It's human, not an animal or something like that."
The family tried contacting the Canadian government multiple times and when they finally reached someone, Miriam said the employee said it was not their responsibility. It was, she said, the responsibility of Asistur, a Cuban medical insurance company that delivered the body.
However, Miriam said she was never in contact with the company.
"We Canadians are not protected in Cuba," she said.
The Urgel Bourgie funeral home in Montreal told CTV News that it is in contact with the Cuban company and is looking for the proper body.
Global Affairs Canada told CTV News via email that it is looking into the file.
The whole ordeal has been an emotional and physical drain on the family.
"My mom, it's been like one month since she has eaten because of what happened," said Karam.
Have a news tip? We'd like to hear your story. Please send an email to MontrealDigitalNews@BellMedia.ca
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Hackers release corporate data stolen from London Drugs
Retailer London Drugs says cybercriminals who stole files from its corporate head office last month have released some of the data after it refused to pay a ransom.
Toronto man falls off his chair after seeing $70M Lotto Max win in his bank account
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account.
Montreal-area high school students protest 'sexist' dress code
Approximately 50 Montreal-area students — the vast majority of them female — were suspended Wednesday after their school deemed the shorts they were wearing were too short. On Thursday, several students staged a walk-out to protest what they believe is a "sexist" dress code that unfairly targets girls.
McDavid scores in 2OT to lift Oilers over Stars in West Final opener
Connor McDavid tipped Evan Bouchard's shot from the boards past Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger 32 seconds into the second overtime to give the Edmonton Oilers a 3-2 win in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final..
'Looking over our shoulders': A killing looms large in a little B.C. town
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.
What is 'slapped cheek disease' and should parents be concerned?
Despite its rough name, experts say most cases of 'slapped cheek disease' are mild and not a cause for concern.
American Airlines retreats after blaming a 9-year-old for not seeing a hidden camera in a lavatory
American Airlines has distanced itself from a court filing in which the carrier said a nine-year-old girl should have noticed there was a camera taped to the seat of an airplane lavatory.
Unknown Newfoundland soldier from the First World War heads back home from France after 100 years
Canadian soldiers and government officials arrived in northeastern France this week for a historic mission: returning an unknown Newfoundland soldier back home.
Calgary Philharmonic takes action following investigation into 'deeply troubling' comments by 2 musicians
The Calgary Philharmonic has confirmed its taking action after controversial online comments made by two members of the orchestra.