Family of Humber River Cruise Drowning Victim Sues Cruise Line Over “Avoidable” Incident
by am980.ca
The family of a 34-year old London man who drowned after going overboard of cruise ship in the Humber River in June is suing for $1 million. Keith White, a lifeguard, fell off the Northern Spirit, a Mariposa Cruises ship, on the evening of June 13th. Passengers said in media reports that the ship kept moving, and that crew members were slow to throw life-saving equipment overboard.
“We are confused about how Keith could fall of a ship in daylight, surface alert, and continue to swim, and yet it appears nothing was done to assist him in a timely manner,” said his sister, Crystal White.
These comments were echoed by Millar, who criticized the defendants’ inaction.
“This was not an unavoidable event,” Millar said. “(Their) son would be here today if, as we claim, proper safety measures were in place. And it’s completely avoidable. So, we just want to get to the bottom of what happened, and figure out, you know, why he didn’t have a life preserver, why the small safety boat wasn’t launched, which is designed to recover people who fall over.”
A spokesperson for a public relations company representing Mariposa Cruises sent a statement expressing the company’s condolences to White’s family, and claiming confidence that the “full facts” of the case will “exonerate” the cruise line from any liability.
