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A Pennsylvania woman who traveled to the U.S. Virgin Islands with her family for a vacation experienced a horrifying accident that nearly took her life. She sued Wharfside Watersports, and the individuals whom she believes were responsible for her severe injuries that caused her constant pain.

The woman named Loren Kokot filed a lawsuit against St. John Front Desk, LLC doing business as Wharfside Watersports, M/V Clickbait, and its owner Chase Herro as well as its captain Michael Ramsey in the U.S. District Court for the Virgin Islands. She alleged that the defendants caused her sufferings because of their negligence

Wharfside Watersports is chartering motor vessels including the M/V Clickbait for day excursions within the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands. Its principal place of business is located in St. John Virgin Islands.

Chase Herro is a U.S. citizen and a resident of Los Angeles, California.  He is the owner of M/V Clickbait, a 34-feet Sunsation CCX motor vessel with triple Mercury 350 horsepower outboard engines.

Michael Ramsey is a citizen and resident of St. John, Virgin Islands. He is the captain, master, and operator of M/V Clickbait at the time of the terrifying accident.

Allegations against the defendants

In the lawsuit, Kokot claimed that she nearly died and is now suffering from painful, severe, and permanent injuries because of the defendant’s negligence.

In April 2019, the plaintiff’s brother-in-law, Steven Snyder did an online search for excursions for a family vacation to the U.S. Virgin Islands. He found the website of Wharfside Watersports and contacted the company by phone.

Snyder spoke to Wharfside Watersports owner Justin Bartosh, who advised him to rent two vessels for his group. Bartosh told Snyder that his company had two vessels, the M/V Poseidon and M/V Clickbait, which would be suitable for his group’s excursion. He booked the vessels—$1,200 for each boat plus the extra fee for fuel, and customs fees—for June 15, 2019.

On June 15 last year, Snyder and his guests including plaintiff Kokot were at the National Park Dock in St John at 9:00 a.m., waiting for M/V Poseidon and M/V Clickbait. The charter boats were late and when they arrived, neither had drinks and the snorkeling gears, which were part of the deal. The charter boats with the passengers aboard returned to the beach at Cruz Bay, St. John to get the drinks and the snorkeling gears.

The captains, Nathan Fletcher for Poseidon and defendant Ramsey for Clickbait “seem to have little information” about the charter boats, according to the plaintiff in her lawsuit.