‘Survivor Greece’ contestant sues for $100 million after leg severed in boating accident

Stavros Floros says producers of the popular reality show failed to protect contestants from boat traffic while they spearfished.(CN) — A contestant on “Survivor Greece” who lost his leg during production is blaming the reality show’s producers for failing to protect participants while they filmed in ocean waters.In a 61-page lawsuit filed Wednesday in Miami-Dade County, Stavros Floros says the show’s producers ignored dangers in the waters where the contestants spearfished for food and provided inadequate safety gear.He further claims producers attempted to cover up the accident to avoid liability.“(The producers) built the show’s entire format around requiring contestants to spearfish in open water — waters heavily trafficked by tourist boats near Bayahibe, Dominican Republic — without safety boats, spotters, protected zones or adequate warning markers, despite prior near-misses and even a prior fatality in the exact same waters,” Floros states.Floros identifies Turkish media company Acun Medya, as well as its subsidiaries, and Greek television station Skai Television as defendants in the suit. He seeks more than $100 million in damages for claims of negligence, civil conspiracy and violations of maritime law.Acun Medya did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Skai Television could not be reached for comment.Floros’ leg was severed above the knee by a tour boat’s propellers May 11 while he spearfished for food off the coast of the Dominican Republic. The boat’s occupants pulled Floros onto the vessel and applied a tourniquet before transporting him to a local medical facility, the complaint states.He was later transferred to a hospital in Miami-Dade County for further care.Production of the show’s 13th season was shut down as a result of Floros’ gruesome injury, which he says required multiple surgeries and a two-month hospital stay. Producers awarded him with the season’s $291,000 grand prize.Acun Medya told the Toronto Sun at the time that Floros was spearfishing without a surface marker buoy, which might have alerted the boat’s operator to his presence.But Floros counters in the suit that the producers were negligent for allowing contestants to spearfish in waters known to be frequented by heavy boat traffic. In 2023, a 15-year-old girl was killed in nearby waters after she was struck by a boat, Floros says.He further claims the surface marker buoy provided by the producers stood only two to three feet above the water and was inadequate to signal boats to a diver’s presence.After his injury, Floros accuses producers of trying to continue filming and providing contestants with cocaine and marijuana to help “calm and settle the cast.” Producers also tried to pressure another contestant to sign a document falsely claiming the competition ended before Floros was injured, but he refused, Floros says.Floros is bringing the suit in Florida because Acun Medya owner Acun Ilicali has longstanding ties to Miami. Floros says Ilicali — also the owner of Premier League soccer club Hull City — made decisions about the show’s safety protocols from his home in Miami Beach.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads