A Louisiana woman suffered serious injuries from an accident during a cruise excursion, according to multiple reports. The woman, Kirsten Lindsey, 28, was medically evacuated to the United States from Mexico and underwent two surgeries as a result of the injuries.
Lindsey has accumulated $53,500 in bills from the ordeal, according to the GoFundMe set up by her boyfriend Blake Ford, which outlines the accident and subsequent medical care.
The Accident
The couple was on the third day of their Carnival cruise on a shore excursion in Roatán, Honduras, when the accident occurred. Video footage shows Lindsey standing on a platform holding a rope with water below. In the video, the rope’s retrieval line can be seen under Lindsey’s feet instead of above her.
As she jumps off the platform holding the rope swing, the retrieval line gets caught between her legs and tightens as she falls, appearing to stop the full force of her fall. Lindsey holds on to the rope for a couple more seconds before dropping into the water.
The graphic video of the accident was shared by Ford on Facebook.
The couple initially believed she had suffered only a “scratch,” but the situation quickly became an emergency. Within hours, Lindsey developed significant swelling and her pain became unbearable. She needed a wheelchair just to get back to their cabin. The couple eventually called the ship’s emergency number and Lindsey was rushed to the ship’s medical center.
Carnival’s Medical Care
The shipboard medical staff presented the couple with three options: air evacuation to the United States, transfer to a hospital in Cozumel, Mexico, or continued treatment in the ship’s medical center for the rest of the cruise. The couple chose the medical evacuation, which cost them around $20,000 upfront and $30,000 upon arrival in the United States.
Lindsey remained in the ship’s medical facility for about 26 hours and her condition continued to deteriorate, waiting for the medical evacuation. Ford writes, “Her pain became so severe that she could barely move, and at one point the medical staff told me they were trying to keep her awake because she would stop breathing whenever she drifted off from the pain medication.”
Carnival billed Lindsey $3,500 for its medical care.
Lindsey was eventually transported by ambulance to an airport and flown by private medical jet to Fort Lauderdale. There Lindsey was taken to HCA Florida Aventura Hospital where doctors removed a “baseball sized clot,” according to her mother’s social media post.
It is not clear how long Lindsey was in the hospital or whether she was admitted as an inpatient.
After the surgery, Lindsey and Ford began an 18-hour road trip back home to Bossier City, Louisiana. However, shortly after returning home, the couple decided to go to the emergency room.
Ford writes, “They (the ER staff) were completely shocked she was even discharged from the last hospital so early but now thank god we’re home and with OUR doctors and not the ones carnival sent us to!”
Who Is Liable?
There are several potentially liable parties for Lindsey’s injury. Carnival Cruise Line may be liable if it sold, promoted, or arranged the excursion and negligently failed to warn Lindsey of a known danger associated with the activity. Carnival claims it is not responsible for any losses or damages suffered by guests while on shore excursions. However, this contradicts the Eleventh Circuit, which has held that a cruise line has a duty to warn passengers of known dangers beyond the ship in places where passengers are invited or reasonably expected to visit.
Carnival Cruise Line could also be liable if Lindsey received inadequate medical care. Based on Ford’s statements, the couple was not happy with the healthcare they received on the ship and at HCA Florida Aventura Hospital.
The company that sold and/or operated the excursion could be liable for Lindsey’s injuries if the accident occurred during the excursion.
Another Carnival Excursion Leaves a Passenger Catastrophically Injured
Earlier this year, we wrote about a young woman who lost both legs after an excursion accident. The woman, Hannah Smith, 22, was celebrating her recent college graduation last year on a Carnival cruise. Hannah and her friend went on a ferry excursion to a nearby island. During the excursion, Hannah was served an excessive amount of alcohol that was spiked with a date rape drug, according to the lawsuit filed by her lawyer.
On the ferry ride home, Hannah was advised to go in the ocean to use the restroom by multiple employees. When the ferry was docked, Hannah went in the water to relieve herself, but was violently pulled into the boat’s propellers which were left running. Hannah ended up losing both of her legs and is still recovering a year later.
Hannah’s lawsuit alleges the ferry operator, Sun Cay, the island operator, Pearl Island, and the cruise line, Carnival Cruise Line, were negligent for her catastrophic injuries.
Photo Credit: Carnival Jubilee (Tisdale37 / Wikimedia Commons); Kirsten Lindsey (Blake Ford / GoFundMe)
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