FORT LAUDERDALE – The personal representative and wife of a Kentucky man has filed a suit after he was fatally injured while scuba diving.
Catherine Stodghill filed a complaint on June 2 in the 17th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida - Broward County against Hankey Group, doing business as Bimini Big Game Club Resort and Marina; Neal Watson's Bimini Scuba Center; Neal Watson Undersea Adventures Inc.; and Neal Watson Inc. alleging negligence
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that on March 2, her decedent Burton Stodghill was a guest at the Bimini Big Game Club Resort and Marina and participated in a dive in the Bahamas. The suit states that he died after this trip and that the cause of death was ruled as drowning. The plaintiff alleges that the decedent was allowed to dive without any instruction or briefing and without a dive partner.
The plaintiff holds Hankey Group, Neal Watson's Bimini Scuba Center, Neal Watson Undersea Adventures Inc. and Neal Watson Inc. responsible because the defendants allegedly allowed use of a dive boat without first aid equipment on board, allowed dives to be conducted by improperly trained dive masters, and failed to provide spare emergency scuba tanks.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment against defendants for compensatory damages, interest and costs. She is represented by Robert B. Brown III of Pennekamp Law PA in Miami.
17th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida - Broward County case number 17-C-10528