Couple sue tour company after being abandoned on honeymoon snorkeling excursion
The newlyweds, who both consider themselves experienced snorkelers, were told they had an hour to snorkel before moving on to the next location on the tour.
Partner Content
The couple say they were left stranded in the ocean while snorkeling on their honeymoon in Maui.
March 5 (UPI) -- A California couple is suing a Hawaiian snorkeling company after they were allegedly abandoned in the ocean on an excursion during their honeymoon.
Elizabeth Webster and Alexander Burckle alleged in the lawsuit obtained by UPI that Sail Maui brought them on a "Lanai Coast" snorkeling excursion off the island of Maui and left them there in September 2021.
Webster and Burckle are seeking $5 million for damages and emotional distress, claiming Sail Maui was negligent and failed its duty of care for its customers.
"They spent a lot of time in the water and if they weren't young, healthy people who were athletic, they probably would've drowned," the couple's attorney Jared Washkowitz told Insider.
The couple, who both consider themselves experienced snorkelers, were told they had an hour to snorkel before moving on to the next location on the tour.
However, Webster and Burckle said they were not given specific guidance about where to meet with the boat, a specific time or snorkeling boundaries. The couple said they do not recall being told who on the crew would be a designated lifeguard for the excursion. The water was about 20 feet deep.
After about an hour in the water, the water became choppier and more difficult to swim in. It was around this time that Webster and Burckle began to swim toward the boat but did not make any progress because of the waves, which rolled up to 8 feet.
They continued to swim toward the boat for about 30 minutes and noticed it had gotten further away, estimating they were in 30 to 40-foot waters.
Meanwhile, the lifeguard in the water helped what they believed to be all the members of the excursion back onto the boat. The crew performed three headcounts -- two of which came up two short. The third headcount came out correct, but other passengers tried to alert the crew that Webster and Burckle were missing.
The lawsuit claims passengers were moving about the deck, making it difficult to keep an accurate count.
Webster and Burckle reached the shore of Old Club Lanai after about two hours in the water. They wrote "SOS" and "HELP" in the sand hoping for rescue.
A pair of residents found them after about 10 more minutes and Webster called Sail Maui to tell them what happened.
"It was apparent that SAIL MAUI did not realize at this point anyone was missing from the charter," the lawsuit reads.
Report a Typo
