A family has filed a lawsuit over a man's death during an Carnival Cruise Lines excursion.
Trevon Burton, as administrator of the estate of Ronald Fitch, filed the federal complaint against Carnival Corporation, Cruise Ship Excursions Inc. and XYZ Corporation(s).
According to the complaint, the defendants are responsible for Fitch's death during an excursion on their cruise ship Carnival Celebration. The death occurred during a shore excursion February 16, 2023, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. At least five of his family members witnessed the incident.
The excursion, according to the complaint, was a cruise on a catamaran to a spot about 100 yards from a beach, where the catamaran would drop anchor. While the catamaran was at anchor, shore excursion participants could go into the water from the catamaran; or they could take a dinghy that would transport them to a sandbar to watch turtles swim, or all the way to the beach. The tour group consisted of about 30 passenger participants and three crewmembers, all aboard the catamaran.
As soon as Burton and his group got in the water about 50 yards from shore, "they immediately struggled to swim and became separated due to the strong current in the water," the complaint states. "Within 30 minutes, the decedent was located face down in the water. Within 15 minutes thereafter, the dinghy operator took the decedent to the shore."
The complaint claims the excursion operators didn't know how to perform CPR, so a family member did so. When a crew member brought a bag that read "AED" on it, the bag was empty, the complaint says.
When paramedics arrived 45 minutes later, Fitch was lifeless. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.
The estate is seeking damages for beneficiaries, survivors and descendants of Fitch.