Galveston County man sues after losing eye in boat accident

A man claims he lost his eye in a boat ride because the operator was drunk.

Charles Strahan of Galveston County, Tx. has filed a lawsuit against boat operator Darrell Shannon of League City, Orion Ventures Inc., and Turtle Entertainment in connection with the accident that occurred in the early morning hours of Oct. 31, 2010.

Orion and Turtle own and operate Lance’s Turtle Bar, which is accused of serving Shannon “copious” amounts of alcohol before the accident, even as he showed “obvious signs of intoxication,” the suit states.

Strahan’s suit alleges that Shannon, the boat operator, was “in his drunken state” and instructed Strahan to stick his head over the side and search for a harbor marker. Shannon moved the boat too close to the marker, which smashed Strahan in the face.

The impact caused the loss of an eye and severe facial and frontal lobe injuries.

Jenny Shetler, another passenger on board, is also a plaintiff. She claims she suffers from emotional trauma after seeing Strahan’s “near decapitation.”  She says others on the boat told her “not to look” because it initially appeared her companion had been killed.

The plaintiffs seek a jury trial and more than $50,000 in damages.

The story appeared in the Southeast Texas Record.