Courthouse News Service reports that a filmmaker who was mauled by a shark has filed a lawsuit in San Diego, accusing a charter boat dive instructor of drawing her into being bait by being intoxicated.

The lawsuit was in a federal court in November, accusing a dive instructor, as well as Mako Shark Diving and Yellow Charter Boat, of negligence. The woman claims that she boarded Yellow Charter’s Cetus Specula boat in June to film underwater shark activity.

According to the lawsuit, the dive instructor was allegedly intoxicated and “chumming” the water and hand-feeding sharks while she was filming. The lawsuit claims that the dive instructor directed the woman to an unsafe area, continuing to feed a nearby shark, holding bait directly in the woman’s path, leading to her shark attack.

The woman claims she suffered permanent severe injuries and disfigurement, as well as emotional distress. The dive instructor declined to comment about the incident. Courthouse News Service said the woman involved in the lawsuit works for IN2 Focus Media, which specializes in short films featured at festivals and conservation summits.

What to Do Following a Charter Boat Accident

While this charter boat incident is unusual, it does display how companies can be held responsible for not keeping passengers safe. This includes hiring employees who are properly trained, who can communicate clearly with people aboard a vessel and who are not reckless.

Tour boat and charter accidents can be devastating for victims. If you are involved in a tour boat or charter accident, you may have legal options, including holding the operator of the vessel liable. In the video above, attorney Carolyn Latti discusses a victim’s legal rights following an accident at sea.