Royal Caribbean cruise passenger death treated as murder after he was served 33 drinks

The death of a Royal Caribbean cruise passenger is being treated as a murder, after he was allegedly served 33 drinks prior to his death on the ship.

The family of Michael Virgil are now suing, and the lawsuit claims he was “negligently served” at least 33 alcoholic drinks before his death. After being served the drinks, 35-year-old Virgil is said to have gone into a drunken rage, and threatened to kill other passengers and attacked members of the ship’s crew.

Navigator of the Seas had been heading towards Mexico when the incidents happened, in December of last year. The recent lawsuit has claimed that despite Virgil being on an all-inclusive package, it was negligent for cruise staff to allow him to have so much alcohol. He died within an hour of being detained by security on the boat.

via R G Williamson/Shutterstock

According to a wrongful death complaint obtained by PEOPLE, Virgil was on the cruise with his fiancé, his then seven-year-old son and family members.

“[Virgil] was visibly intoxicated such that each of Royal Caribbean crew members should not have continued to serve alcohol to him while he was exhibiting these visible signs of intoxication, and each of these crew members were negligent for continuing to serve [Virgil] alcoholic beverages in his intoxicated state,” the complaint stated.

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The complaint went on to say Virgil had tried to find his cabin, but had become agitated. A video obtained by Fox News from another passenger appears to show Virgil kicking down a door and shouting: “I’m going to knock you the f*ck out.” Security surround him. “The gentleman that was drunk said that he was going to kill us and then he started chasing us down the hallway,” the passenger told Fox 11.

According to the lawsuit, crew members and security tackled Virgil to the ground, then stood on his body “with their full weight,” and “compressed” his body, which caused him to stop moving. He was allegedly given a sedative, and crew members sprayed him with pepper spray.

Virgil was allegedly “subjected to prolonged prone restraint with multiple Royal Caribbean crew members applying compressive force to [his] back and torso, impairing chest expansion, limiting diaphragmatic motion, and obstructing venous return, leading to impaired breathing and hypoxia.”

As per the complaint, his death was ruled a homicide “as the use of force by Royal Caribbean crew members, as well as over service of alcoholic beverages leading to intoxication, directly contributed to and caused the physiologic conditions leading to [Virgil’s] death.”

PEOPLE reported that according to the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner, Virgil died from combined effects of mechanical asphyxia, obesity, cardiomegaly, and ethanol intoxication. The medical examiner ruled the death as a homicide.

Royal Caribbean issued a statement, and said: “We were saddened by the passing of one of our guests, worked with authorities on their investigation, and will refrain from commenting any further on pending litigation.”

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