Scuba Diving Accidents

If you think that South Carolina is beautiful on the surface, wait until you see it from underwater.  Diving in South Carolina’s lakes, rivers, and ocean lets you see local aquatic life up close and personal.  What happens if you get injured while scuba diving, though?  We have heard horrible stories of people’s oxygen tanks malfunctioning, but people can get injured in many different scenarios while diving.  Your legal remedies after a scuba diving injury depend on the circumstances surrounding the accident.  For example, if you got injured while you were diving as part of a tour group, especially if diving instructions were present during the excursion, the tour company is responsible for preventable accidents.  If you were simply diving in water that is open to the public, free of charge, for recreational use such as swimming, fishing, boating, or diving, then the Recreational Land Use Statute protects the owner of the land, even if the accident technically occurred on private property.  A Columbia premises liability lawyer can help you exercise your legal rights if you got injured in a scuba diving accident.

South Carolina Diver Survives Alligator Attack in the Cooper River

Will Georgitis has years of experience scuba diving, and he knows just where to find the fossilized shark teeth.  They are at the bottom of the Cooper River.  Georgitis found plenty of teeth at the bottom of the river, and since his oxygen tank only had enough oxygen left for a few more minutes, he decided to surface and call it a day.  Once at the surface, he was swimming toward the riverbank, and when he was about 20 feet away, he noticed that he was face to face with an alligator.

The gator lunged at Georgitis and latched onto his arm.  Georgitis wrapped his legs and his free arm around the gator to prevent it from putting him in a death roll.  The gator then dove below the water and pinned Georgitis to the river bottom.  Georgitis was able to breathe through all of this, but he knew that he needed to free himself before his oxygen tank ran out.  Eventually, Georgitis was able to get the alligator to release him after he repeatedly stabbed it in the face with a screwdriver.  If it had not been for the oxygen tank and the screwdriver, it is almost certain that the encounter would have ended differently.

After the terrifying encounter, Georgitis was hospitalized and underwent emergency surgery on his arm.  He will likely need several more surgeries in the coming weeks.  It is unlikely that he will take legal action, since the Cooper River is public property, and alligators have as much right to swim there as humans do.

Let Us Help You Today

The premises liability lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you if you have suffered a serious injury while partaking in water recreation such as swimming, snorkeling, or scuba diving.  Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.

Source:

whiskeyriff.com/2024/04/24/i-bear-hugged-him-so-he-wouldnt-death-roll-me-south-carolina-man-recounts-surviving-harrowing-alligator-attack/