Royal Caribbean Cruise Passenger Dies After Alleged Incident, Family Attorney Compares Case to George Floyd
Royal Caribbean Passenger Allegedly Asphyxiated After Being Over-Served Alcohol, Family Lawyer Compares Death to George Floyd
The family of a Royal Caribbean cruise passenger who recently filed a wrongful death lawsuit claims he was served a massive amount of alcohol before security guards allegedly asphyxiated him — drawing comparisons to George Floyd, according to the family’s attorney.
Michael Virgil’s family filed the lawsuit Monday following his death last December after reportedly consuming large quantities of alcohol. Attorney Kevin Haynes told TMZ that Virgil was served a mix of beer and hard liquor, allegedly consuming up to 33 drinks over seven hours before stumbling in search of his family in their cabin. Haynes stressed that even with an unlimited drink package, there should be limits to alcohol service.
The lawsuit claims Virgil became agitated after failing to find his family, removing his shirt and breaking down doors. Security was called, and Haynes says guards applied their full body weight on Virgil, “asphyxiating” him for around three minutes. Combined with alcohol and sedatives in his system, this allegedly caused his death, according to Haynes and the L.A. County Medical Examiner’s report. Haynes highlighted that Virgil’s death “had echoes of George Floyd.”
The legal filing further alleges that crew members used “excessive force and fatal actions,” including administering a sedative, Haloperidol, and deploying multiple cans of pepper spray. The family claims Royal Caribbean has refused to release surveillance footage to show who served Virgil all the alcohol.
The FBI reportedly opened an investigation, though its current status is unclear. Efforts to reach Royal Caribbean and the FBI for comment have not yet been successful.