PORT RICHEY, Fla. -- A passenger on the casino shuttle boat that caught fire off Florida's Gulf Coast is suing the company for negligence.
Deborah Jero is seeking "damages that exceed $15,000" from the Tropical Breeze Casino Cruz company, according to a lawsuit filed Jan. 19 in Pasco County court. She claims the incident left her with injuries, "mental anguish and trauma" when forced to jump from the burning boat.
Jero was among 50 passengers onboard the Island Lady when it departed port Jan. 14 for a casino operating miles off Florida's coast in the Gulf of Mexico.
Not long after the trip began, the vessel caught fire. Dramatic images show the boat engulfed in flames, with people forced to jump off to save their lives.
"JUMP!"
Terrified witnesses watched as people on board a casino boat shuttle jumped into the Gulf waters to escape a fire.
Nobody was killed. About a dozen people were hospitalized with minor injuries, according to authorities. @10NewsWTSP pic.twitter.com/8swbpHbpgO
Another passenger, 42-year-old Carrie Dempsey of Lutz, did not immediately go to the hospital for treatment after the fire. She later was admitted to the emergency room for feeling ill and died from her injuries.
Jero claims she was forced to jump more than 10 feet into frigid water that was less than 3 feet deep. Specific injuries were not mentioned in the lawsuit.
Jero and her representation at the Law Offices of Frank D. Butler assert Tropical Breeze failed to "inspect, maintain, outfit" and repair the Island Lady while knowing of any mechanical issues.
Spokesperson Beth Fifer earlier said the company was "deeply saddened" by the woman's death and for the other injuries. She added that there were no previous issues with its shuttle boat.
In 2004, however, three crewmen were rescued by the Coast Guard when a separate casino shuttle boat operated by the same company caught fire. At the time, the company was named Paradise Port Richey.
An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined a fractured, improperly installed fuel line was to blame and the company did not have a preventive maintenance program in place.
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10News app now.
Have a news tip? Email desk@wtsp.com, or visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
