A Survivor Greece winner who lost a leg in a gruesome spearfishing accident claims TV bosses doled out cocaine to calm the nerves of shaken castaways so they could carry on filming, a new lawsuit claims.
Stavros Floros, 22, was diving for his dinner at a secluded resort in the Dominican Republic when he was struck by a passing tourist boat on May 11, according to the filing obtained exclusively by the Daily Mail.
The propeller severed one leg and badly damaged the other but Floros miraculously survived after a tourniquet was applied to his mangled limbs.
Floros is now suing multiple media companies involved in the production of Survivor Greece season 13 for negligence and fraud in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court.
His complaint, seeking a colossal $100 million in damages, claims producers failed to protect contestants from maritime hazards then tried to minimize their liability.
Remaining castaways were plied with cocaine and marijuana to calm them down as film crews continued to shoot scenes for the hit reality franchise, the suit alleges.
It also claims that an eyewitness was offered the second-place prize if he signed an ‘untrue’ statement about the timing of the grisly incident.
Floros spent 61 days in a Miami hospital afterwards undergoing multiple surgeries and having his left leg amputated above the knee.
He told the Daily Mail this week he was taking legal action because he wants ‘the world to know the truth’ about his ordeal.
‘I went onto a reality show and ended up with only one leg at 22 years old. I want people to know that they didn’t look after us,’ Floros said.
‘I hope this case inspires people going through any kind of struggle and makes them feel like they aren’t alone.’
The complaint names Acun Ilicali – a Turkish tycoon with an $11 million mansion in Miami Beach – and his various media companies, Acun Medya, Acun Medya Global, and Florida-based Acun LLC, as defendants.
Skai TV, the Greek network that financed and broadcast the show, is another defendant listed in the 61-page filing.
Floros, an accounting graduate who works for his family beekeeping business in Kavala, northern Greece, said he grew up watching Survivor and looked up to Ilicali, a prominent media figure and owner of English Premier League soccer team, Hull City.
He was one of 37 contestants competing for a €250,000 prize, equivalent to $290,000.
Castaways were expected to spend four to six months living in huts and being constantly filmed on a remote beach in Bayahibe, a Dominican resort renowned for its powder white sand and tropical diving sites.
Their phones and electronic devices were taken away which left them unable to summon help or protect themselves in the event of an emergency, according to the suit.
‘For the duration of filming, the Production controlled cast members’ movement, access to food and water, and physical safety,’ the complaint says.
‘Cast members, including Plaintiff, were given only minimal rationed food and limited drinking water, and were expected and required to supplement their sustenance by fishing and foraging as a core and mandatory element of the show’s premise and televised format.’
The suit says Floros’s team won a competition for a speargun and he entered the ocean with his fellow castaway Emmanouil Malliaros on the morning of May 11 to fish.
The pair were using a small inflatable dive marker and were roughly 100 yards from the shore when Malliaros spotted a boat or catamaran heading toward Floros without slowing or changing direction.
He yelled at his friend to get out of the way, the suit says.
‘Despite Plaintiff’s evasive movements, the offending vessel’s propellers struck both of Plaintiff’s legs.
‘The impact severed Plaintiff’s left leg completely – his left leg was never recovered from the water – and severely injured his right leg.’
The complaint says the boat continued without stopping until the 20 or so tourists aboard began yelling at the crew.
Malliaros rushed to Floros and applied a tourniquet to his left leg, which the suit claims saved his life.
Floros was transported to a local clinic before he was medically evacuated to the US for surgery and critical care, the suit claims.
The lawsuit alleges that the production failed to have safety boats or personnel monitoring contestants while they were fishing, despite the waters being frequented by tourist vessels.
It further claims that producers attempted to minimize their liability in the aftermath of the accident.
According to the complaint, cast members were given cocaine and marijuana to calm their nerves while production continued filming.
The suit alleges producers tried to persuade Malliaros to sign an ‘untrue’ statement regarding the timing and circumstances of the accident.
Malliaros was allegedly offered the show’s second-place prize in return for signing the statement, but refused.
Floros was ultimately named the winner of the season following the accident.
The lawsuit alleges he was crowned winner ‘based solely upon Plaintiff suffering catastrophic injury during the Defendant’s production of the show.’
Floros claims the defendants were negligent in failing to provide a safe environment for contestants and committed fraud by misrepresenting the safety measures that would be in place.
He is seeking $100 million in damages.
Floros has undergone a grueling recovery since the accident, including multiple surgeries and rehabilitation.
He has also been fitted with a prosthetic leg.
The lawsuit accuses the defendants of failing to adequately warn contestants of the risks associated with fishing and diving in waters used by tourist boats.
It alleges that no safety vessels, spotters or other precautions were in place to protect contestants.
Floros’s lawyers argue that the production companies had a duty to ensure contestants’ safety because they controlled their movements, food, water and activities throughout filming.
The complaint further alleges that defendants attempted to conceal or distort details surrounding the accident after it occurred.
Floros says he hopes the lawsuit will hold those responsible accountable and prevent similar incidents from happening to other reality television contestants.
‘This is an incredible survivor story, both literally and figuratively,’ attorney Michael Winkleman told the Daily Mail.
‘We’re honored to represent Stavros in this fight and will not rest until we’re able to achieve full justice for him under the law.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to production company ACYNMEDYA and Skai TV about the lawsuit.
