‘Agitated’ cruise passenger was served 33 drinks in hours, subdued by security, injected with sedative, later died: Lawsuit

What was supposed to be a fun family cruise to Mexico ended in panic, a physical confrontation with security, a death that officially was ruled a homicide — and now a lawsuit.

The wrongful death suit claims a passenger on a cruise a year ago was served 33 alcoholic drinks in a “matter of hours,” and crew members used pepper spray when the California father reportedly became unruly. Ship security detained the passenger who was later given an injection as a sedative before he died, according to the suit.

‘The next phone call she gets, he’s dead.’

Michael Virgil, 35, went on a vacation with his family aboard the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas cruise ship in December 2024.

On Dec. 13, 2024, Virgil boarded the ship in San Pedro, California, with his fiancée Connie Aguilar, their young son, and relatives for a three-day cruise to Ensenada, Mexico, according to USA Today.

Kevin Haynes, an attorney for the family, told the Daily Mail that Virgil’s cabin was not ready when he boarded the cruise ship, so he went to one of the ship’s bars.

The lawsuit claims Virgil was served 33 alcoholic beverages — but it’s unclear if he consumed all of the drinks.

CBS News reported that that lawsuit said Royal Caribbean crew members “negligently” overserved alcohol to Virgil “in a matter of hours” while he showed signs of intoxication.

Virgil “became agitated” when he couldn’t locate his cabin, according to the suit, which was filed Friday in federal court in Miami, where Royal Caribbean is headquartered.

Christifer Mikhail, a passenger aboard the Navigator of the Seas, recorded cellphone video of Virgil violently kicking a door on the cruise ship.

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Mikhail told KTTV-TV in December 2024, “The gentleman, that was drunk, said he was going to kill us. He started chasing us down the hallway.”

KTTV added that “passengers say he attacked two crew members. And attempted to kick down a door to try to get to one of the crew members.”

Several security members are seen in the video surrounding Virgil before confronting him.

The lawsuit adds, “Royal Caribbean crew members, including security personnel, then tackled decedent to the ground, stood on decedent’s body with their full weight, and compressed decedent’s body, causing decedent to stop moving.”

Haynes added to the Daily Mail that “the first domino that fell in terms of causing his death was mechanical asphyxiation, and that is where approximately five, maybe more, Royal Caribbean employees were trying to restrain him by putting their full body weight on him. And they did that for three minutes.”

The ship’s security members detained Virgil by using zip ties, handcuffs, and pepper spray.

‘They put Michael in a refrigerator and continued the cruise for multiple days.’

Aguilar claimed she found out about the incident when her name was called over the ship’s intercom.

Aguilar was brought to Virgil, where she said she saw her fiancée on a gurney with zip ties on his wrists.

Haynes told the Daily Mail, “They assured her, ‘Everything’s going to be fine. We’re going to give him a sedating injection, just go back to your cabin.’ The next phone call she gets, he’s dead.”

The lawsuit alleges that the ship’s medical staff injected Virgil with haloperidol as a sedative.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Health: “Haloperidol is a medication that works in the brain to treat schizophrenia. It is also known as a first-generation antipsychotic (FGA) or typical antipsychotic. Haloperidol rebalances dopamine to improve thinking, mood, and behavior.”

Virgil was pronounced dead at 8:32 p.m. on the first day of the cruise when the ship was more than three miles offshore, according to the Daily Mail.

Haynes said, “They put Michael in a refrigerator and continued the cruise for multiple days.”

Virgil’s body remained aboard the ship until the Navigator of the Seas returned to California on Dec. 16, 2024, three days after the cruise commenced.

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The County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner ruled Virgil’s death a homicide that was caused by “combined effects of mechanical asphyxia, obesity, cardiomegaly, and ethanol intoxication.”

Fox News noted, “The report also said the injury occurred from ‘body compression during restraint by multiple ship security personnel’ and ‘ingestion of ethanol.'” The cable network included a copy of the medical examiner’s report, which was filed in April.

Virgil’s blood alcohol concentration measured between 0.182% and 0.186%, roughly twice the legal driving limit in California.

“While not lethal on its own, this level of intoxication can depress respiratory drive, impair coordination, and diminish the individual’s ability to respond to distress during restraint,” the autopsy report said, according to the Daily Mail.

Haynes told the Daily Mail, “His behavior was out of character for him. He was scared and acting out of fear. Whatever Michael may have done during that stressful time, fueled by alcohol, it shouldn’t have given him a death sentence.”

A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean, the world’s second-largest cruise company, told Blaze News, “We were saddened by the passing of one of our guests, worked with authorities on their investigation, and will refrain from commenting any further on pending litigation.”

Citing the lawsuit, NBC News noted that maritime common law requires cruise ship companies to “supervise and assist passengers likely to engage in behavior dangerous to themselves or others.”

Haynes stated, “We are seeing an incredibly alarming number of serious injuries and fatalities on cruise ships. This should never happen again.”

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