Tourist suffers hearing loss after roach crawled in his ear at Horry hotel, suit says

An Ohio man is suing a Myrtle Beach-area hotel after a roach crawled in his ear while he was staying there, causing hearing loss, according to court documents.

Todd VanSickle filed the lawsuit in March against Sands Ocean Club Homeowners Association and Ocean Annie’s Operations, Inc., who operates Sands Ocean Club Resort on Shore Drive.

VanSickle stayed at the Horry County hotel in July 2021, when he was awoken by extreme pain caused by a roach crawling in his ear, according to the lawsuit.

A spokesperson with the hotel declined a request for comment Monday.

The lawsuit states the defendants were negligent for various reasons, including not inspecting for roaches, not implementing a pest control program, and not cleaning VanSickle’s room.

The roach incident has caused VanSickle to incur medical expenses and “suffer pain and discomfort,” according to the suit.

This story was originally published April 11, 2022 at 1:41 PM with the headline "Tourist suffers hearing loss after roach crawled in his ear at Horry hotel, suit says."