Disturbing update after ‘drunk’ cruise passenger died in detainment on board ship as family attorney speaks out
There's been a shocking update in the case of a man who died while detained on board a cruise ship.
On December 13 last year, it was reported Michael Virgil of Moreno Valley boarded Royal Caribbean's 'Navigator of the Seas' vessel from Los Angeles to head to Mexico alongside his fiancee and seven-year-old son.
However, tragedy struck within an hour of setting sail, with the 35-year-old alleged to have become severely intoxicated in a short space of time, after which he went on to assault two staff members and allegedly made threats to kill his fellow passengers.
Footage caught by other travelers also appeared to show the moment Virgil ran rampage through the hall with his shirt off and was attempting to hammer down a door before he was restrained.
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A team of Royal Caribbean security members managed to detain Virgil by using zip ties as well as handcuffs and possibly pepper spray. An hour later, he was dead.
Now, his family have launched a wrongful death lawsuit, alleging Virgil had been served a whopping 33 alcoholic beverages at the bar on the day he died. Police are also treating the death as a homicide, reports the New York Post.
According to the lawsuit, Virgil's family claim bar staff 'negligently' observed him 'in a matter of hours', while he became heavily inebriated.
It is believed the man drank at least three dozen alcoholic beverages and became frustrated when he became lost trying to find his room.
During the commotion, the lawsuit claims security staff subdued him 'with their full body weight' on the floor and injected the father with a sedative, Haloperidol, a prescription medication used to treat psychotic disorders, that led to his death in custody.
A year on and the family is continuing to stand by the allegation in their new lawsuit.
His fiancee has claimed that the 'excessive force and fatal actions taken by crew members including security and medical personnel', who allegedly 'administered an injection of a sedative medication, Haloperidol, and used multiple cans of pepper spray,' resulted in his death, as per the lawsuit.
It is reported the man died of 'significant hypoxia and impaired ventilation, respiratory failure, cardiovascular instability and ultimately cardiopulmonary arrest,' thus leading to his death 'which has been ruled a homicide', the lawsuit reveals.
The family are now seeking damages from the cruise liner for loss of support, future earnings and medical expenses in addition to pain and suffering.
They also said Virgil's behavior was 'uncharacteristic' that fateful day, adding: "He didn’t deserve to die over it."
Family attorney Kevin Haynes also said in a statement: “Michael’s family has suffered unimaginable heartache and torment caused by Royal Caribbean, a mega cruise line that prioritizes profit over passenger safety," reports The Sun.
“It is very clear that Royal Caribbean is completely negligent in the hiring, training and supervision of its vast fleet of maritime employees.
“What was supposed to be a beautiful family vacation came to an unimaginably tragic end due to the reprehensible way the situation – that should have never occurred – was handled.”
Haynes added: “We are seeing an incredibly alarming number of serious injuries and fatalities on cruise ships of late.
“Our goal is to force systemic change in the way this industry operates to ensure that no person or family experiences tragedy like this again.”
In a statement to CBS News, a Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson said: "We were saddened by the passing of one of our guests, worked with authorities on their investigation, and will refrain from commenting any further on pending litigation."
Topics: Cruise ship, Royal Caribbean, Alcohol, Travel, US News, Crime
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