Alexander Burckle and his new wife were on their honeymoon in Maui and had booked a five-hour snorkeling tour with Sail Maui.
After spending an hour at the first diving spot, the couple attempted to return to the boat, only to find it had sailed away and left them stranded half a mile from land.
According to a lawsuit filed last month, the pair were experienced snorkelers and were part of a group of 44 passengers that had sailed for around 45 minutes to the first location. The group were instructed to return to the boat in 45 minutes to an hour, however, the water had become turbulent, making it difficult for the couple to swim back.
After 15 minutes of swimming, the boat was further away and the water 30-40 feet deep. The couple began signalling for help, yet back on the boat, the crew had already begun their head count, erroneously counting 44 passengers before departing.
One of the other passengers had alerted the crew of the couple still in the water, however they were allegedly ignored.
The couple then swam for another 30 minutes to reach the shore, exhausted and dehydrated. They were then rescued by a local couple who gave them a ride to a ferry back to Maui.
The couple are now suing Sail Maui for $5 million, accusing them of gross negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Sail Maui have yet to comment.