A lawsuit filed against Carnival Corporation and its excursion contractors alleges that a 22-year-old woman, just two weeks after graduating summa cum laude from college, was drugged, directed into the water, and then sucked into a ferry’s propeller, resulting in the amputation of both legs. The amended complaint, filed by Brais Law Firm and Scolaro, P.A. in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, details the catastrophic incident that occurred on May 12, 2025, during the “Pearl Island Beach Escape with Lunch” Carnival Adventure excursion in Nassau, Bahamas.
According to the complaint, Carnival’s own website represented that it “hand-selected the best local providers at every port of call” and that its operators were “reliable [and] reputable.” The excursion was sold aboard the Carnival Celebration and operated by Carnival’s shoreside contractors, Pearl Island and Sun Cay. Upon arriving at Pearl Island, bartenders allegedly plied Hannah Smith and her companions with “copious and unsafe amounts of alcohol,” including a 16 oz. complimentary rum punch and three coerced “liter pours,” where an inverted plastic liter bottle of alcohol mixed with a drug was poured directly into her mouth. The complaint alleges that the drinks were spiked with a drug-facilitated sexual assault substance, and that employees also furnished marijuana. Within approximately 71 minutes, her estimated blood alcohol content exceeded four times the legal limit.
During the return trip aboard the Sun Cay Catamaran Ferry, Smith asked a crewmember for a restroom and was told to “use the water,” consistent with earlier instructions that “the ocean is your toilet.” Grossly impaired, she entered the water from the ferry’s aft dive platform. The captain, who had an unobstructed view, then engaged the ferry’s engine, causing the propeller to turn in reverse. With no warning, Smith was violently sucked into the propeller, resulting in immediate traumatic amputation of her left leg below the knee and catastrophic injuries to her right leg, ultimately requiring three successive amputations culminating in a complete hip disarticulation. She lost over 60% of her total blood volume, underwent more than 25 surgeries, and was hospitalized for over two months. Her medical care is alleged to exceed ten million dollars.
The complaint alleges that complaints of extreme alcohol overservice and marijuana distribution on this excursion predated Smith’s injuries by at least six years. Prior reviews documented unsafe ferry practices, and Carnival allegedly deleted and suppressed negative passenger reviews from its website. The lawsuit asserts claims against Carnival for negligent selection, retention, supervision, failure to warn, and apparent agency, among others. Direct negligence claims against Pearl Island and Sun Cay include overservice of alcohol, distribution of controlled substances, and DFSA spiking.
Despite her devastating injuries, Smith has chosen to use her experience to help others. In 2026, she was invited to speak as a keynote survivor at the HCA Florida Trauma Survivors Luncheon. Keith S. Brais, her lead counsel, stated, “The evidence raises serious questions about what Carnival knew, what it ignored for years, and what it actively concealed from its own passengers.” Co-counsel Thomas Scolaro added, “It is about an industry practice of placing revenue over passenger safety and hiding the evidence.”
The attorneys are urgently seeking witnesses with firsthand knowledge of excessive alcohol service, marijuana distribution, DFSA substances, unsafe ferry practices, or inappropriate employee conduct prior to May 12, 2025. More information can be found at Brais Law Firm and Scolaro, P.A..
