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What Happened Before Man Jumped Off The Carnival Sensation

By Eddie Farah

Martha Jackson, a passenger on the Carnival Sensation, returning from four nights in the Bahamas, heard the splash.

A 34-year-old unidentified man from Philadelphia jumped from his sixth-deck suite aboard the Sensation late Wednesday and into the Atlantic waters off Port St. Lucie. He was reportedly celebrating his wedding anniversary.

Johnny Gonzales of the U.S. Coast Guard says the man was lucky – he knew how to swim and was wearing a white T-shirt which made him easier to see under a full moon. The man was treated for back injuries and a mental evaluation.

Florida Today reports on what happened before the jump.

The man and his wife had been arguing. the wife now says. The husband had been battling severe depression and had been drinking. Earlier reports were that he threatened to jump and she said, 'Go Ahead.'

The wife says she came out of the bathroom and found her husband teetering on the balcony before he jumped. Lucky for him, Carnival knew he was in the water, sent out an alert to boats in the area and the Disney Wonder picked him up.

The man was reported to be 'physically exhausted" after treading water for about an hour and a half before being brought to the hospital.

The Cruise Junkie Web site reports that in 2009 so far, Carnival has had eight people overboard, topping the list as the cruise line with the most passengers and crew overboard, not only this year but with 38 since 2000.

Carnival says that's because they carry more passengers than any other cruise line.

Muggings, rapes, overboards are just some of what can happen in rare cases aboard cruise liners. Many things you have no control over, while others you do.

Be sure to read the fine print of your ticket, which is your cruise contract.

Especially, if you have any preexisting medical condition, look at paragraph 4C of your cruise contract. It lets the cruise line off the hook for any liability since the doctor is an independent contractor, usually licensed to practice medicine in a country outside of the jurisdiction of U.S. courts.

That is very convenient for the 60 billion dollar cruise industry, but could mean you have no recourse for shoddy medical treatment or no medical treatment at all when you most need it. #

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Full post as published by Jacksonville Personal Injury Lawyer on September 04, 2009 (boomark / email).