A former participant from the Greek version of the popular reality competition show Survivor has taken legal action against the show’s creators following a tragic boating incident that resulted in the amputation of his leg. Stavros Floros has filed a $100 million lawsuit in a Florida court.
Floros, who is now 22 years old, was taking part in Season 13 of Survivor Greece when the accident occurred while he was spearfishing with another contestant off the coast of the Dominican Republic on May 11. Court documents obtained by CBC News reveal that Floros was hit by a tourist boat, leading to the severing of his left leg above the knee and causing severe injuries to his right leg.
After the accident, Floros was taken to a local medical facility before being transferred to a hospital in Miami, where he underwent multiple surgeries and spent 61 days in recovery. Graphic photos of Floros post-accident were published by TMZ, showcasing the extent of his injuries.
Skai TV, the broadcaster of Survivor Greece, announced the immediate suspension of the show following the incident and offered support to Floros for his treatment and rehabilitation. Despite this, Floros claims that he did not receive adequate support from the production company.
In a statement to TheWrap, Floros expressed his dissatisfaction with the lack of care he received, stating, “I went onto a reality show and ended up with only one leg at 22 years old, having felt like I was slowly dying.”
The lawsuit, filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, names AcunMedya, AcunMedya Global, Acun LLC, Turkish businessman Acun Ilicali, and the parent company of Skai TV as defendants.
Floros and other contestants detailed the sequence of events leading to the accident, highlighting the lack of safety measures in place during their fishing activities. The lawsuit alleges that the production team failed to implement necessary precautions despite the knowledge of heavy boat traffic in the area.
Malliaros, another contestant, recalled that Floros was hit by the boat while swimming near a dive marker close to the shore. He mentioned that the boat initially continued moving until passengers insisted on returning to assist Floros.
Floros shared with the Miami Herald how his life has been drastically altered by the incident, questioning the justification of such severe consequences for a reality TV competition.
Floros’s legal team, Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, filed the lawsuit in Florida, citing the connections of AcunMedya and Ilicali to the state. Floros revealed that his decision to participate in Survivor Greece was influenced by previous seasons being filmed in Florida, as well as the allure of winning a luxury trip to Miami.
Apart from Survivor Greece, AcunMedya is responsible for producing various international versions of the franchise in countries like Turkey, Mexico, Romania, and Germany. CBC News attempted to reach out to AcunMedya for a response but did not receive a reply at the time of publication.