The fiancée of a cruise ship passenger who died on a Royal Caribbean trip is suing the company, saying he was overserved alcohol and that employees used excessive force that led to his death.
Michael Virgil was sailing with his fiancée and their son and other relatives on the Navigator of the Seas last December, KTLA reported.
They boarded the cruise on Dec. 13, 2024, on a trip from Los Angeles to Ensenada, Mexico, CBS News reported.
Their room was not ready when they boarded, so they went to a bar with live music to wait. Virgil was left alone when his fiancée and their son left after the child became restless, Fox News reported.
He had purchased the ship’s all-inclusive deluxe beverage package and, according to his family, was served at least 33 alcoholic drinks in the hours before his death.
The lawsuit said he was visibly intoxicated, but crewmembers continued to serve him.
He was lost and agitated when he was trying to get back to his cabin, his family said in a lawsuit filed against Royal Caribbean.
TMZ said that he tried to break down doors and took his shirt off while he searched for his cabin.
The suit said that security tackled him and held him down in a prone position using their body weight, which made it difficult for him to breathe. They also used several cans of pepper spray and the sedative Haloperidol.
Virgil became unresponsive and died. His body remained refrigerated on the ship until it returned to Los Angeles on Dec. 16, 2024, Fox News reported.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled his manner of death a homicide with the cause of combined effects of mechanical asphyxia, obesity, cardiomegaly and ethanol intoxication.
The FBI opened an investigation into Virgil’s death. Royal Caribbean said it was “saddened” by his death and that it was cooperating with the investigation.
The lawsuit, filed by Connie Aguilar, Virgil’s fiancée, said the cruise line is liable for negligence, improper alcohol service and the actions of its security and medical personnel.
Her attorneys said that the company had the right not to serve anyone who is visibly intoxicated and did not. They also said the company markets its inclusive drink packages and has bars in “every nook and cranny” of the ship, CBS News reported.
Aguilar is seeking damages, including loss of support, inheritance, past and future earnings and net accumulations. It is also asking for payment of funeral and medical expenses, as well as mental pain and suffering, TMZ reported.
When asked for comment on the lawsuit, Royal Caribbean told TMZ, “We were saddened by the passing of one of our guests, worked with authorities on their investigation, and will refrain from commenting any further on pending litigation.”
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