A Michigan woman has launched a lawsuit against multiple Hawaii authorities after her husband of 38 years died while snorkeling.
Patti Johnson is suing the Fairmont Kea Lani resort, Hawaiian Tourism Authority and Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau after her husband Ray Johnson’s death was ruled a ‘drowning’ in the autopsy report.
She believes that Ray’s death, which happened in front of her, did not resemble a ‘traditional’ drowning in any sense and was actually due to ROPE – Rapid Onset Pulmonary Edema – that may have been exacerbated by their recent flight.
‘There’s barely a minute in my life that goes by that I don’t think about him,’ she told ABC News.
Dr. Meilan Han, chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of Michigan, explained: ‘What long-haul flights do is it has an effect on your lungs.
Patti Johnson is suing the Fairmont Kea Lani resort, Hawaiian Tourism Authority and Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau after her husband, Ray Johnson’s death in February was ruled as ‘drowning’ in the autopsy report
‘Soon they started yelling, call 911! That’s when I ran to the beach. And I ran — I got onto the beach. They were pulling him out. His head snapped back and I believe at that point he was gone,’ Patti recalled.
‘After three days, you are back to normal, but if you snorkel after that long flight, there is a substantial increased risk of death.’
In her lawsuit, Patti alleges that all three of the defendants had failed to educate the public about the potential dangers of ROPE.
‘I don’t want other people to go through what we have gone through and to lose a family member to – lose your husband in this way.
‘It’s just heartbreaking and it’s avoidable, and so just, you know, just to please be aware of this. Make people aware,’ she told the outlet.
Patti said that minutes before he died, Ray was snorkeling with friends around Wailea Beach, which fronts the resort, when she stopped in her tracks and realized that something was not right.
After a few seconds, she noticed that other snorkelers helping Ray as he was trying to keep his head above water and heading to shore.
‘Soon they started yelling, call 911! That’s when I ran to the beach. And I ran – I got onto the beach. They were pulling him out. His head snapped back, and I believe at that point, he was gone,’ Patti recalled.
She also told NewsNation’s Morning in America that there was a medical conference at the resort and many doctors as well as nurses responded to their cry for help but nothing could be done.
Ray was snorkeling with friends around Wailea Beach (pictured) when the incident happened
Patti believes that her husband suffered from ROPE – Rapid onset pulmonary edema which caused his death
The coroner later ruled Ray’s death as drowning, but Patti refuses to believe so.
‘I was watching him come in, how could he be drowning? According to her friends who were snorkeling with him, Ray was talking and also diving down under the water.
‘At one point, he came up and said, “You gotta help me, I’m having trouble breathing,” and that’s when he decided to head back to shore. I don’t think when people are drowning in a conditional manner, you’re going to be conversing,’ she said.
Instead, Patti believes that her husband suffered from ROPE.
The couple were staying Fairmont Kea Lani in February. The resort has not yet commented on the lawsuit
In her lawsuit, Patti alleges that all three of the defendants had failed to educate the public about the potential dangers of ROPE
According to Yale Medicine, ROPE is a condition in which fluid accumulates in the lungs, making it hard to breathe.
Mostly, the buildup of fluid is caused by a pressure imbalance in the heart but other causes can also send excess fluid to the lungs.
Symptoms include difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, wheezing, shallow breathing.
Jay Stuemke, the family attorney, confirmed that Ray was an experienced snorkeler and believes that the couple’s long flight contributed to his death.
The Hawaiian Tourism Authority, Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau and Fairmont Kea Lani have not yet commented on the lawsuit.
