Abandoned while snorkelling in Hawaii, couple sues tour company for $5 million

Imagine diving into the water, swimming with fishes, mesmerised by the wonders that lie beneath the surface of the ocean. Now, imagine coming back to the surface only to discover you've been stranded in the middle of nowhere. That is what happened to a California couple. Newly-weds Alexander Burckle and Elizabeth Webster were on a snorkelling trip in Hawaii when they were left marooned by their tour company and had to swim half a mile to safety. Now, for the ordeal and the resulting mental distress, they have sued the tour firm, Maui Sail Company. They are seeking $5 million in compensation on account of general damages and emotional distress.

The couple were on their honeymoon and had booked the trip to Lanai, a tiny island near Maui, in September 2021.

During the 10 amsnorkelling expedition, they were told that the boat will be anchored in one location for an hour before moving on to the next location. Soon after they swam into the ocean, the water turned "choppy."

After battling the waves for 15 minutes, they saw that the boat had deserted them.

Speaking to Insider, the couple’s lawyer said that the tour company failed to set "boundaries for snorkelling," identify a lifeguard for the excursion or make sure that the snorkelers had a buddy system.

The lawsuit as per Guardian also claims that in spite of the crew members doing three headcounts, they failed to account for the missing couple and moved away. The dehydrated and frightened honeymooners then had to swim to shore, where they were eventually helped by an island resident.

(With inputs from agencies)

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