A Michigan woman claims her husband’s death could have been prevented by an awareness campaign about a little-known snorkeling danger, according to her lawsuit against the tourism Authority;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas” class=”link “>Hawaii tourism Authority and the Hawaii Visitors Convention Bureau.
Officially, 64-year-old Ray Johnson’s cause of death in February 2022 was ruled drowning, the leading cause of death for tourists in Hawaii, by a coroner, according to Patti Johnson’s lawsuit.
But her attorney, Jay Stuemke, told Fox News Digital the experienced snorkeler’s last moments did not resemble a traditional drowning at all.
“He told a friend, ‘I’m having trouble breathing,’ and they tried to bring him in,” Stuemke said Wednesday. “A friend helped him to shore, but he died on the beach [in Maui.]”
Rather than aspirating water, Stuemke said Johnson likely died of Rapid Onset Pulmonary Edema, or ROPE, sometimes known as “drowning from the…
