Honeymooners abandoned in the ocean by snorkelling company, sues for "negligence and distress"
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Hawaii: A couple who went snorkelling in Hawaii as part of a tour group was abandoned in the ocean for an hour. They were forced to swim back to the shore and left dehydrated. They are suing the company for "negligence and emotional distress".
The incident took place in September 2021. Elizabeth Webster and Alexander Burckle went on a snorkelling trip to Lanai, an island in Hawaii. There were 44 passengers in the team led by the Maui Sail Company.
In the federal lawsuit filed last month, the couple said the captain told them the boat will remain anchored in the location for an hour before moving to the next location. When the couple started to make their way to the boat around the said time, the water was influenced by heavy wind and they had to swim more aggressively. After approximately 30 minutes of swimming, they realised that the ship was farther away than they last checked, reported NBC news.
The couple tried to keep afloat and make distress signals. Once the conditions in the ocean got worse, they panicked and feared that they would drown. They were somehow able to get to the shore of Lanai where a resident helped them. They were dehydrated and fatigued, reported New York Post.
When Webster called the company and told the crew that they had gone missing on the tour, the crew member allegedly told the passenger they made it back. The duo is accusing the crew of miscounting passengers and suing the company for $5 million.
