A college graduate lost both legs after she was plied with liquor and illegal drugs and urged to jump off a Bahamas tour boat to relieve herself, a harrowing lawsuit alleges.
The Incident
Hannah Smith, 22, claims bar staff funneled rum punch cocktails laced with sedatives into her mouth during a wild drinking spree before she boarded a catamaran. The woozy tourist asked for a spot to relieve herself and was told 'the ocean is your toilet,' according to a federal complaint obtained exclusively by the Daily Mail. But as she lowered herself into the water, the ferry captain started the engine, causing Hannah to be 'violently and forcibly grabbed, sucked underwater and brutally slashed' by a propeller. By the time she was dragged to safety, a sliver of skin was the only thing keeping Hannah's left leg from being completely torn away, the filing states.
Victim's Background
The aspiring artist from Memphis, Tennessee lost 60 percent of her blood and had both legs amputated after the gruesome accident that happened a year ago during a Carnival cruise to the Bahamas. She is seeking an unspecified amount of damages from Carnival and tour operators Sun Cay and Pearl Investment Management Group for negligence and inflicting severe mental and physical suffering. Hannah's best friend Brooklyn Pitre, 22, is suing the same set of companies, claiming a bartender groped her buttocks prior to the 'catastrophic' accident which left her with PTSD.
The Excursion
Hannah was celebrating her graduation summa cum laude from Alabama's Miles College when she and Brooklyn boarded the Carnival Celebration on May 11 last year in Miami. They used the Carnival app to book the Pearl Island Beach Escape with Lunch for the following day, trusting that the cruise giant would only recommend safe activities, her suit argues. The $79.99 excursion involved a ferry trip from Nassau to Pearl Island, a tropical getaway offering pristine sands, snorkeling and encounters with swimming pigs and dolphins.
Allegations of Misconduct
As soon as they set foot on the island at around 12.15pm, staff began 'grooming' them with complimentary 16-ounce cups of rum punch, Hannah's suit alleges. A bartender drizzled a potent concoction known as a 'liter pour' directly into her mouth until the pretty communications grad was forced to gulp it down in order to breathe. Her complaint claims the boozy brew had been 'surreptitiously spiked' with a 'sedating substance known to impair alertness, cognitive functioning, and judgment.' A man Hannah describes as a supervisor or head barman is alleged to have led the pair to a private oceanfront cabana and encouraged them to puff on a marijuana joint. Hannah's lawyers claim she was plied with liquor until her blood alcohol level reached an estimated 0.447 – four times what is considered legally impaired in Florida and high enough to cause coma or death.
Sexual Assault Claim
Brooklyn's suit claims that the supervisor positioned himself behind her in the secluded cabana and 'pressed his hands and groin against her buttocks without her consent.' She also points to toxicology testing done in the wake of the ensuing accident that allegedly detected traces of a non-therapeutic DFSA (drug-facilitated sexual assault) substance in both women.
The Accident
It was on the 3.30pm return journey to Nassau, the Bahamian capital, that Hannah complained that she needed to go to the bathroom. 'The crewmember responded, 'use the water,' motioning with his arm and hand to the aft of the Catamaran Ferry where the diver platforms meet the ocean,' her suit says. 'This was not the first time Plaintiff was told where she ought to relieve herself due to the unavailability of a nearby restroom.' Earlier, while on the Island, Plaintiff was told, 'the ocean is your toilet,' by an Island employee after asking where she could relieve herself. However, because the vessel was underway, Plaintiff decided to wait as best she could.
When the boat reached Nassau the captain either turned the engines off or left them idling and so the propellers stopped turning, according to the complaint. As the passengers disembarked Hannah 'realized she needed to relieve herself and that she could not hold it any longer.' Still 'grossly impaired and compromised' by the drugs and alcohol, Hannah claims she decided to lower herself into the water from the diving platform. She held onto a railing while relieving herself for 10 to 12 seconds, according to the suit, all the time believing the engines and propellers were switched off. 'Plaintiff suddenly felt her lower extremities being sucked under the vessel,' the complaint says. 'The Catamaran Ferry's captain had started and/or engaged (put in gear) the nearest idling engine causing its propeller to turn in reverse. The propeller violently and forcibly sucked Plaintiff underwater and then brutally slashed her about her lower extremities resulting in life-threatening and -altering injuries.' These included 'an immediate traumatic amputation' of Hannah's lower left leg.
Rescue and Medical Aftermath
Miraculously, she was able to kick herself free with the remaining leg, reach the surface and scream 'Something's wrong - grab me.' 'B.P. reached for Plaintiff and with assistance pulled Plaintiff from the water,' the suit continues. 'When Plaintiff was pulled out of the water, her left leg below her knee was almost completely severed except for a sliver of skin, and she had suffered multiple gashes throughout both legs and pelvis area. The injuries caused Plaintiff to lose over 60% of all her blood - by itself life-threatening.' Hannah was flown to a hospital in Miami in critical condition where she was given 20 units of blood to keep her alive, her suit says. She underwent 25 surgeries, including the amputation of her right leg, below the knee, before she was discharged more than two months later. 'Plaintiff continues to have a lengthy journey ahead of her which includes but is not limited to prosthetics and psychological treatment,' the lawsuit states. 'Plaintiff's life has been completely altered by this incident due to Defendants' negligence.'
Legal Claims
Hannah's suit accuses employees of Pearl Investment Management Group of deceiving her into mixing drugs and excessive alcohol and Sun Cay staff for failing to disembark the ferry safely. Her lawyers argue that Carnival is jointly responsible because the cruise giant markets the excursion as a vetted and safe outing for passengers. Brooklyn wants at least $75,000 in damages for negligence, sexual battery and lasting psychological injuries. She claims she risked her life by 'single-handedly' reaching down to help her friend and was left drenched in Hannah's blood.
Defendants' Responses
Carnival's lawyers asked Judge William Dimitrouleas, without success, to toss Hannah's lawsuit because the excursion was operated by independent Bahamian companies, not Carnival itself. They say it fails to show that Carnival had prior notice of the specific conditions or 'incompetence' that caused the accident. Peter Rebmann, managing partner of Pearl Investment Management Group, argued in a declaration that Florida courts have no jurisdiction over a Bahamian business. Lawyers for Sun Cay deployed a similar argument, saying the firm has nothing to do with the Sunshine State. They described the incident as a 'tragic accident in which plaintiff Hannah Smith jumped off the back' of their catamaran. Operations manager Jaqueline Frode said in a declaration that her staff had nothing to do with what happened on Pearl Island.
Recovery and Support
An Instagram video posted a year on from the accident shows brave Hannah learning to walk with prosthetic legs, lifting weights and playing wheelchair basketball. Well-wishers have donated more than $76,000 towards her medical expenses via GoFundMe. A spokesperson for Carnival said: 'Our thoughts are with Ms. Smith, and we wish her strength and healing. At Carnival Cruise Line, we continuously strive to keep our guest and crew safe as a priority. Out of respect for ongoing legal proceedings, we are unable to comment further. We remain committed to supporting safety and wellbeing in all we do.'
