A former participant from the Greek version of the popular television show Survivor is taking legal action against the show’s creators following a tragic boating incident that led to the amputation of his leg. Stavros Floros has filed a lawsuit in a Florida court seeking $100 million in damages.
During Season 13 of Survivor Greece, Floros was involved in a spearfishing activity with another contestant off the coast of the Dominican Republic on May 11. Court documents obtained by CBC News reveal that Floros was struck by a tourist boat, resulting in the severing of his left leg above the knee and causing severe injuries to his right leg.
After the accident, Floros was initially treated at a local medical facility before being transferred to a hospital in Miami, where he underwent multiple surgeries and spent 61 days recovering. Graphic images of Floros post-accident were published by TMZ, illustrating the extent of his injuries.
Skai TV, the broadcaster of Survivor Greece, responded by suspending the show and offering support to Floros for his treatment and rehabilitation. However, Floros claims that he did not receive the adequate support promised by the production company.
In his lawsuit filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, Floros names AcunMedya, AcunMedya Global, Acun LLC, Turkish businessman Acun Ilicali, and the parent company of Skai TV as defendants. Floros and other cast members detailed the sequence of events leading to the accident in court documents.
The lawsuit alleges that the production team failed to implement safety measures despite the known risks of high-speed boat traffic in the area. The day of the incident was not a scheduled competition day, but contestants were still expected to engage in survival tasks.
Floros and his fellow contestant, Emmanouil Malliaros, were fishing when the accident occurred. Malliaros mentioned the close proximity of tourist boats to the shore and the perception of cast members as mere entertainment to the boat operators.
Following the accident, Malliaros described the delayed response of the boat in returning to assist Floros, with passengers eventually applying a makeshift tourniquet to his injured leg. The severed part of Floros’s leg was not recovered.
Floros expressed disbelief over the life-altering consequences of the incident, questioning the justification of such risks for a television program. Survivor Greece is distinct from the long-running U.S. series Survivor, which recently completed its 50th season over 25 years.
Floros’s legal team from Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman filed the lawsuit in Florida, citing AcunMedya and Ilicali’s connections to the state and alleging that decisions affecting contestant safety were made from Miami Beach. Floros highlighted his motivations for joining Survivor Greece, including the allure of past seasons filmed in Florida and the prize of a luxury trip to Miami for the winner.
Despite attempts to reach AcunMedya for comment, there was no response at the time of publication. AcunMedya is responsible for various international adaptations of the Survivor franchise, including versions in Turkey, Mexico, Romania, and Germany.