A Hawaiian snorkeling company is being sued for $5 million by a California couple who claim they were abandoned at sea by their tour guides.
Elizabeth Webster and her husband, Alexander Burckle, were two of the 44 passengers who signed up for Sail Maui’s Lanai Coast snorkel tour during their honeymoon in September 2021, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court last month and obtained by NBC News.
When the couple tried swimming back at 11:50 a.m., the lawsuit says that choppy conditions prevented the newlyweds from traversing the waters. They struggled for about half an hour in the water and tried to signal for help from the crew, but the boat instead drove off to its next snorkeling location.
The newlyweds made the half-mile swim to shore and reached land around 1 p.m., where they were dehydrated and fatigued. Local passersby found them and offered aid. The attorney also said that the boat crew did two prior headcounts that came up at 42 people, before doing a third that said all 44 passengers had returned to the ship — despite the couple still being at sea.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Essential California Week in Review: Residents of California mountains trapped in their homesNewsletter: Residents of Southern California mountains are trapped in their homes after the historic winter storm, while Gov. Newsom and the IRS give Californians an extension.
Read more »
High school basketball: Southern California and Northern California Regional results and updated pairingsHigh school basketball: Southern California and Northern California Regional results and updated pairings.
Read more »
I Tried Yelp's #1 Ranked Restaurant Of 2023 And Here's How I Rated ItWhat does top-rated Korean-Hawaiian food taste like?
Read more »
‘Make Us Visible' aims to raise awareness about Asian-American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific IslandersHate crimes against Asian-Americans have been on the rise for nearly 10 years. Yet, the sharpest spike in hate crimes, per the DOJ, has been since the COVID-19 pandemic began. FOX13
Read more »
California man arrested for transformer bombings had explosive materials in home: PoliceA California man accused of blowing up two Pacific Gas and Electric transformers allegedly had large amounts of explosive materials and an inactive methamphetamine lab in his home, authorities said.
Read more »
California declares emergency in counties buried by snow as latest storm moves eastNEW YORK — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in more than a dozen counties as the typically warm state digs out from rare snowstorms.
Read more »