The Haywards are suing the company that left them in the ocean.

HAYWARD, California. – A couple from Hayward say they got stuck in the ocean while scuba diving on their honeymoon. This happened in Maui about 18 months ago and now they have filed a $5 million lawsuit against the travel agency.

The lawyer says it was quite a frightening situation for the newlyweds, who realized they were left behind. They survived, but the lawyer says the couple believe their lives are in danger.

“Once they realized the boat had left them, they were clearly distraught and distraught and had no choice but to sail to the nearest landmass, which was Lanai,” said attorney Jared Vaskowitz of JAW Legal in Hawaii.

Vaskowitz says what should have been a great Maui getaway turned into a nightmare for her clients Elizabeth Webster and Alexander Burkle.

During their honeymoon in September 2021, the couple purchased snorkeling tickets from Sail Maui. After about an hour in the water, they realized that the boat was drifting when they tried to swim towards it.

“There were no other boats in the area. All they could do was swim to the nearest land, which they did. It was shallow, but there were waves. They landed on the beach, Lanai. It’s kind of an abandoned beach. It is not very populated. There was no one on the beach,” Vaskowitz said.

READ ALSO: Hate Crime Reveals Complex Race Relations in Hawaii

Their lawyer says that as soon as they got to Lanai, they wrote an SOS in the sand and waited. Luckily, a local couple who came to the beach that day helped them call the boat tour company.

“One of the shocking things is that the ship didn’t even know it was missing until that phone call,” Vaskowitz said.

Webster and Burkle filed a $5 million lawsuit against Sail Maui for malpractice.

Vaskowitz says they had to swim half a mile to get back to land, and if they didn’t know how to swim, the situation could have ended much worse.

“It’s not like they were in the water for the first time, but I wouldn’t say they had that kind of open water swimming experience, especially in this place. By all appearances, they were in good shape and could do enough not to drown.” Vaskowitz said.

Vaskowitz says the company returned the couple’s money and helped them return to Maui.

KTVU contacted the travel company but did not receive a response to this report in time.

Thanks for reading Dallas Press News

Content and Photo credit go to Texas Standard

Read the full article on Texas Standard News