A Survivor Greece contestant who lost part of his leg in a boating accident is taking legal action.
On Thursday, Sept. 3, Stavros Floros filed a complaint suing Survivor Greece producers for $100 million, following an incident that left him with severe injuries to his left leg, according to documents obtained by PEOPLE.
In his complaint, Floros accuses the show’s producers of negligence, alleging that “the producers built the show’s entire format around requiring contestants to spearfish in open water — waters heavily trafficked by tourist boats near Bayahibe, Dominican Republic — without safety boats, spotters, protected zones, or adequate warning markers, despite prior near-misses and even a prior fatality in the exact same waters.”
Floros also claims that “only a tourniquet” applied to his injury “kept him alive.” According to the filing, the contestant was transported to a hospital in Miami, where the complaint was filed, and underwent “multiple surgeries over a grueling 61-day hospitalization.”
The lawsuit names Acun Medya, Acun Medya Global, Acun LLC, media mogul Acun Ilicali and Skai TV as the liable parties as defendants.
The May 11 boating accident occurred when Floros was spearfishing in the waters of Saona Island in the Dominican Republic during a break from filming, according to a statement from the show’s production company, AcunMedya, obtained by the Toronto Sun.
Authorities said Floros was struck by the boat’s outboard engine propellers, resulting in the partial amputation of his left leg and significant injury to the right ankle, per the outlet.
In AcunMedya’s statement, the company called the situation a “serious accident” and said, “We consider it necessary to clarify the exact circumstances under which the incident occurred.”
“According to the information available so far, the accident appears to have happened when a tourist boat injured the contestant while he was spearfishing outside the competitive process of the reality show,” the statement continued.
The company claimed “an immediate response” was made to assist Floros. In its statement, the company noted that local authorities are currently “investigating the causes of the incident in order to fully determine the circumstances.”
In a translated statement shared on Survivor Greece’s official Facebook page on May 12, representatives for the series said that Floros is “out of danger” and had regained consciousness while being treated in a local ICU.
The statement added that “an air transfer to a specialized center in the United States is being considered.”
SKAI Television, the Greek television station that airs Survivor Greece, suspended broadcasts of the competition series following the incident, per Greek news site eKathimerini.
“Despite the fact that the production of Survivor is carried out exclusively under the control and responsibility of AcunMedya, SKAI is closely monitoring developments on the participant’s health and will contribute in every possible way to his treatment, as well as to any hospitalization and rehabilitation care that may be required,” the station said in a statement obtained by the outlet.
