12 seats 60 meters M/Y Dream has on its website It stands for “exquisite and comfortable Zen interior decoration” and is expected to bring “warm and comfortable sailing experience”.

However, the two guests of Melnik claimed that they got nothing and that the Caribbean tour became an arrogant conflict between the NHL owner and the British captain of the yacht, “panic attack” and “abuse”-now, the lawsuit seeks compensation. 10 million US dollars.

The yacht sailing began on December 22, when 61-year-old Menyk and his girlfriend Sharilyne Anderson set sail from Nassau on the “Dream”, intending to spend time with friends and family after Christmas. Five days ago.

From the beginning, they didn’t seem to get along well with the captain of the superyacht.

He is “a notorious and grumpy person who dismissed guests, downplayed, and was directly angry and insulting to the crew,” Anderson and another plaintiff claimed in two lawsuits filed in the United States last month. The captain “is easily flustered, overwhelmed, and seems completely unfamiliar with the area, the crew or the ship.”

Lawsuit says the captain tried to “punish” Melnik

The situation got worse when Melnick told the British captain that they wanted to cross the Nesso and be protected from Nassau all the way to the Bahamas, known as the Exuma Islands.

The captain “expressed anger and dissatisfaction with the charterers’ belief that their so-called expertise, experience and authority…and tried to punish the charterers and their party’s rudeness by deliberately driving the yacht into the open sea. claim.

In fact, the reefs, shallows, and shallower waters of the Grand Bahama Bank make it difficult for the area to handle large ships. Nautical chart The display depth is between 2.4 and 6.4 meters. The defendant has not yet filed a defense in the lawsuit, but the lawyer of the superyacht management company stated that the draft is 3.6 meters.

Chris Fertig, a lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said in an interview: “If the ship can go ashore, that would be great. “But you can’t. This is just physically impossible. “

The lawsuit alleges that the captain therefore diverted a route to the ocean. These lawsuits allege that without the protection of the Bahamas, the yacht was sunk by the full force of the Atlantic, resulting in “a painful 10-15 hour ordeal,” Eugene Melnyk and Anderson ( Anderson) “I was very sick and vomited all night,”.

The defendant claims that the claim is false

Subsequently, the ship spent several days in the calm inland waters before picking up other passengers, including Melnik’s mother, Villa Melnik in Barrie, Ontario. The lawsuit stated that they also suffered “violent attacks of vomiting and illness” due to the “intentional and reckless behavior” of the captain.

These allegations are contained in a claim filed by Anderson and Vera Melnyk in the U.S. Federal Court in Southern Florida. Each of them seeks $5 million in compensation for negligence, false imprisonment and deliberately causing emotional distress.

Nothing is required to be tested in court. The defendants include the captain and the company that owns and operates the yacht.

Gurmeet Ahluwalia reached Florida on the phone last week, One of the five defendants An agent of the two companies that own and manage Dream said these claims are wrong and that the captain is a professional with 20 years of experience.

Aluvaria said: “He has been around the world. Every charter he has made praises him, his abilities, and the good time with him.” During his trip in Melnik.

Severe emotional distress

The lawsuit tried to show other circumstances.

The lawsuit said that after the additional guests and family members boarded the plane, “these passengers once again suffered several hours of difficult sailing. Some of them had to crawl on all fours to safely walk onto the ship’s deck.”

Allegedly, “the ocean is so rough that an improperly fixed lounge chair on the upper deck of the ship fell into the glass partition above the dining area, pouring out broken glass fragments. These fragments almost missed the guests, but caused serious problems on the ship. Emotional distress. The possibility of injury.”

Fertig, a lawyer for the yacht company, said that the year of the year was a typical strong wind in the Bahamas. Under the Menyk charter, the waves soared by two meters, but the boat was never in any danger. Among.

“I know that Mr. Melnick is frustrated that the charter did not do what he intended, but there are gusts of 35 miles per hour every day.”

The lawsuit said that when the ship finally reached the calm waters of Carter Island, the captain hinted that it would be an ideal location for some beach time. In addition to “the warning signs observed by passengers warn individuals not to swim in the water because of sharks”.

The lawyer said the captain “does his best”

Finally, on New Year’s Day, the private cruise in the Caribbean is coming to an end. The lawsuit claimed that the passengers had planned to disembark and fly home on Exuma Island, but the captain refused to let anyone disembark on the grounds of the rough sea.

Instead, he allegedly insisted on sailing to Nassau through the high seas again for 18 hours. This was an act of “false confinement” that resulted in “panic attacks, trauma, and the fear of drowning.” [and] Fear of boarding any kind of ship. “

Fertig attributed the captain’s decision to bad weather and his need to ensure the safety of everyone.

He said: “I think he did his best. You know, they are all safe. The ship is safe.” “The weather is annoying. Unfortunately, the ship is an unstable platform floating in an unstable medium.”

He provided a two-page copy from the guest book on the ship, including entries he said were written by Melnik’s family and friends.

An article on January 1 said: “It’s an amazing way to celebrate the new year 2021! You are all great! We had a great time.”

Another person who signed the “Melnick Group” said: “Thank you very much for giving me such a wonderful experience! This is a wonderful way for the new year.” Feitiger said, this is Sally Ann. Written by Sharilyne Anderson.

“Not subject to Canadian public health regulations”

The lawsuit alleges that the entire alleged yacht accident was due to Melnick and Anderson, who live in Toronto, seeking to “escape their isolated lives in Canada and spend the holidays with their family and friends”.

When they planned to travel, in mid-December, most areas in south-central Ontario were under the COVID-19 lockdown under a provincial order, or were classified as “red” areas, but classified as one of the following. The federal and provincial governments have advised against unnecessary travel. For several months, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam Begged Canadians Don’t make unnecessary trips around the holidays.

But Melnik pointed out to CBC News that he did not violate any health agreements or regulations.

Although he has a Senator from Ottawa and is a Canadian citizen, he has been a resident of Barbados since the 1990s.

Melnick stated in a lawyer’s statement on the NHL team’s board that he returned to Barbados in mid-December and did not travel to the Bahamas from Canada for a yacht tour.

The statement said: “For whatever reason, any subsequent travel from his residence in Barbados will not be subject to Canadian public health regulations.”

As for Melnik’s girlfriend and mother, the lawyer representing them in the lawsuit pointed out that the federal government stated that it would not actually prevent anyone from traveling abroad.

In an email to CBC, Michael Bowe said: “At all times, Ms. Anderson and Ms. Melnyk are in full compliance with all public health procedures in Canada and abroad.”