Boat tour passengers injured by Big Isle ‘lava bomb’ file suit
COURTESY DLNR
Light shone through a hole in the roof of a Hawaiian Lava Boat Tours vessel, in July 2018, where a “lava bomb” smashed through earlier, off the coast of Hawaii island.
HILO >> A group of sightseers injured by a “lava bomb” during a boat tour in Hawaii has filed a lawsuit.
The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports the suit was filed last week on the Big Island against Lava Ocean Tours Inc. and captain Shane Turpin.
Authorities said 23 people were injured in July 2018 when the tour ship called Hot Spot was struck by molten rock.
The lawsuit filed on behalf of six passengers from California and Oregon follows a suit by an Illinois woman.
Plaintiffs in both suits claim the captain maneuvered the ship dangerously close to a lava ocean and the company did not adequately warn passengers of hazards.
A lawyer representing the ship’s captain declined comment, citing the pending litigation.
