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Florida man accused of cutting off diver’s air supply in fight over coveted lobster diving spot

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Florida man accused of cutting off diver’s air supply in fight over coveted lobster diving spot


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A battle over a lobster diving spot off the Florida coast allegedly escalated into an underwater nightmare after a man was accused of shutting off another diver’s air supply — a confrontation that landed him behind bars on an attempted murder charge.

Michael Joseph Simpson, 51, surrendered Tuesday to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami-Dade County, where he was booked Tuesday evening on an attempted murder charge, according to Miami-Dade jail records. His bond was set at $10,000.

According to Local 10 News, the incident occurred shortly after 7 a.m. on July 29 about a half-mile east of Fisher Island during Florida’s annual lobster mini season.

Citing the arrest affidavit, Law&Crime reported that Simpson allegedly approached another boat at a high rate of speed and circled the vessel several times before anchoring about 10 feet away.

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FLORIDA MAN ARRESTED FOR DUI AFTER TROOPERS ALLEGEDLY FIND 34 OPEN ALCOHOL CONTAINERS IN VEHICLE

Michael Joseph Simpson booking photo after his arrest on an attempted murder charge in Miami-Dade County, Florida (Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation)

Investigators say the confrontation began after Simpson claimed the group was diving in “his spot” and warned that a larger boat was on its way before it arrived and anchored nearby.

Authorities allege Simpson then threatened to turn off the surface-supplied air system providing oxygen to an 18-year-old diver searching for lobsters. Investigators say Simpson jumped into the water and intentionally shut off the unit.

As the confrontation unfolded, witnesses yelled, “We have a diver down there you a–hole!” according to the arrest affidavit cited by Law&Crime.

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The diver’s boat owner jumped into the water and pulled him to the surface. The diver was gasping for air and appeared disoriented but was not injured, Local 10 reported.

FLORIDA MAN GIVES AN INCREDIBLE INTERVIEW ABOUT HOW HE FOUGHT OFF AN ALLIGATOR WITH A FISHING POLE

Rodriguez was awaiting trial on charges including cocaine possession with intent to sell, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and trespassing at the Miami-Dade Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami, Fla. (Google Maps)

Investigators allege Simpson left the scene before deputies arrived. After authorities identified him as the suspect, Simpson voluntarily surrendered Tuesday, according to Local 10.

Simpson’s attorney, Howard Srebnick, strongly denied the allegations in a statement to Fox News Digital, arguing that investigators ignored evidence and witnesses that he says support his client’s account.

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Srebnick said Simpson was diving from his own boat with friends and his two young children and “never disabled anyone’s diving equipment.”

Srebnick said video shows one of the accusers became entangled in the Brownie’s Third Lung air system while Simpson “was nowhere near it.”

AMERICAN TOURIST ATTACKED BY SHARK IN VACATION HOT SPOT

A tourist snorkels near the Christ of the Abyss statue surrounded by dead coral on the ocean bed in the Straits of Florida near Key Largo, Florida, on September 23, 2021. (Photo by Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)

He also disputed investigators’ allegation that Simpson fled, saying his client instead idled his boat away from the immediate area to avoid escalating the confrontation before cooperating with responding Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers and providing a statement.

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Srebnick said numerous eyewitnesses aboard two separate boats corroborate Simpson’s version of events and criticized the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office for arresting his client before interviewing what he described as exculpatory witnesses.

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“We are optimistic that the State Attorney’s Office, after reviewing the video and interviewing all the eyewitnesses, will dismiss the charges, clear his name, and restore the reputation he has spent a lifetime building,” Srebnick said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office for additional comment.

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Rare trail camera video captures Florida panther mom, 3 kittens at Babcock Ranch Preserve

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Rare trail camera video captures Florida panther mom, 3 kittens at Babcock Ranch Preserve


A rare sighting of a Florida panther mother and her three kittens is giving wildlife officials a glimpse at the species’ potential to expand its breeding range.

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. — A rare sighting of a Florida panther mother and her three kittens is giving wildlife officials a glimpse at the species’ potential to expand its breeding range.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists captured the panther family on trail cameras at Babcock Ranch Preserve in March.

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The female panther and one of her kittens were spotted again in July.

According to the FWC, the sightings show that Florida panthers are capable of expanding their breeding range north of the Caloosahatchee River.

Officials said that natural expansion could be an important step toward helping the Florida panther population recover.

Overdevelopment and vehicle strikes have kept the species close to extinction for decades.

Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.

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Man arrested, accused of possessing undersized lobsters in Florida Keys

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Man arrested, accused of possessing undersized lobsters in Florida Keys


A North Carolina man was in possession of four undersized lobsters on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said.

Monroe County Sheriff’s Office

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A North Carolina man was arrested Saturday for harvesting undersized lobsters, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

Lower Keys Marine Deputy Luis Guiardinu was on patrol around 2:14 p.m. near Sunshine Key when he spotted several people harvesting lobsters, the sheriff’s office said in a Sunday statement. Joe Lopez, 37, of Raleigh, North Carolina, was found in possession of four undersized lobsters and taken to jail.

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It is illegal to harvest lobster in Florida using a speargun. During season, the carapace of the lobster, the part that is not the tail, must be longer than 3 inches. The regular recreational and commercial spiny lobster season runs from Aug. 6 through March 31.

The FWC’s hotline to report conservation violations is 888-404-3922 or online at MyFWC.com/WildlifeAlert.

Miami Herald staff writer David Goodhue contributed to this report.

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Pregnant 16-year-old found shot dead in Florida apartment; boyfriend arrested

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Pregnant 16-year-old found shot dead in Florida apartment; boyfriend arrested


A pregnant 16-year-old girl was found shot to death inside a Florida apartment, with her 17-year-old boyfriend identified as a person of interest.

Deputies with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office say they responded around 4 p.m. Wednesday, to an apartment at 4826 U.S. Highway 441 South in Lake City for a welfare check.

After making several announcements, deputies entered the unlocked apartment and found Ashia La Shai Moore dead on the floor from an apparent gunshot wound, according to investigators.

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Moore was visiting friends at the apartment at the time. Her family was notified, and later told investigators she was seven months pregnant when she was killed.

See also: Woman seriously injured after stranger allegedly ignites gasoline at Florida gas station

As detectives continued investigating, they identified Moore’s 17-year-old boyfriend, Dominique Santonio Hill, as a person of interest.

Hill was interviewed by investigators and arrested on a charge of tampering with evidence. He was booked into the Columbia County Detention Facility without bond.

The sheriff’s office has not announced an arrest on a murder charge, and the investigation remains active.

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Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 386-719-2005. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers of Columbia County at 386-754-7099.



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