My husband died in a snorkeling accident in Hawaii - he'd still be alive today ... trends now
A Michigan woman has launched a lawsuit against multiple Hawaii authorities after her husband of 38 years died while snorkeling.
Patti Johnson is suing the Fairmont Kea Lani resort, Hawaiian Tourism Authority and Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau after her husband Ray Johnson's death in February was ruled a 'drowning' in the autopsy report.
She believes that Ray's death, which happened in front of her, did not resemble a 'traditional' drowning in any sense and was actually due to ROPE - Rapid Onset Pulmonary Edema - that may have been exacerbated by their recent flight.
'There's barely a minute in my life that goes by that I don't think about him,' she told ABC News.
Dr. Meilan Han, chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of Michigan, explained: 'What long-haul flights do is it has an effect on your lungs.
Patti Johnson is suing the Fairmont Kea Lani resort, Hawaiian Tourism Authority and Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau after her husband, Ray Johnson's death in February was ruled as 'drowning' in the autopsy report
'Soon they started yelling, call 911! That's when I ran to the beach. And I ran -- I got onto the beach. They were pulling him out. His head snapped back and I believe at that point he was gone,' Patti recalled.
'After three days, you are back to normal, but if you snorkel after that long flight, there is a substantial increased risk of death.'
In her lawsuit, Patti alleges that all three of the defendants had failed to educate the public about the potential dangers of ROPE.
'I don't want other people to go through what we have gone through and to lose a family member to - lose your husband in this way.
'It's just
