Couple allegedly abandoned in ocean by tour company on their honeymoon: ‘Drowning was imminent’

The couple are suing tour organisers for $5 million. (Representational image)

A couple on their honeymoon in Hawaii were allegedly abandoned in the ocean by a snorkelling company and had to swim for hours to get to the shore, Insider reported. They have sued the business for $5million.

Alexander Burckle and Elizabeth Webster, experienced snorkelers from California, had booked a tour with a Lahaina-based company. When they reached the snorkelling site, their catamaran's captain said they had an hour to explore the area, before the vessel would depart for another spot.

The couple dived in, beginning their adventure happily in calm and clear waters. But then, the ocean conditions became rough. They quickly tried to swim towards their vessel but saw that it was moving away.

Burckle and Webster also sent out distress signals, but to no avail.

"Plaintiffs were beginning to panic and were struggling to swim in the ocean conditions," their lawsuit alleged. "They feared that drowning was imminent."

Since the couple were young and physically strong, they managed to swim to shore, where a pair of locals found them.

The local residents offered them some water and let them make calls using their phones.

It was only when they called the company that it realised two people from its tour were missing.

The couple's lawyer alleged that the tour agency did not do a proper headcount of their guests.

Neither were Burckle and Webster told the specific time to return to the catamaran or what to do in case there was an emergency.

“It was basically a traumatizing event where they thought they were going to die and they thought their spouse was going to die,” their attorneys were quoted as saying by Hawaii News Now.  “These people are coming here on their honeymoon, want a wonderful experience. Instead they had to face death, and that’s terrible."

Meanwhile, the tour agency refused to comment on the matter amid the ongoing lawsuit. But they are reported to have changed the protocol for headcounts.