A former participant from the Greek version of the popular competition series Survivor is taking legal action against the program’s creators following a tragic boating incident that led to the amputation of his leg. Stavros Floros has filed a lawsuit in a Florida court, seeking $100 million in compensation.
Floros, now 22 years old, was part of Season 13 of Survivor Greece when the accident occurred during a spearfishing activity with another contestant off the coast of the Dominican Republic on May 11. Court records reveal that a tourist boat collided with Floros, resulting in the severing of his left leg above the knee and causing severe injuries to his right leg.
After the accident, Floros was promptly taken to a local medical facility in the Dominican Republic before being transferred to a hospital in Miami, where he underwent multiple surgeries and spent 61 days recovering. Distressing images of Floros post-accident were published by TMZ, depicting the extent of his injuries.
Skai TV, the broadcaster of Survivor Greece, announced the immediate suspension of the show and extended support to Floros for his treatment and rehabilitation, despite the production being the responsibility of Turkish company AcunMedya. However, Floros claims he did not receive the adequate assistance from the production team.
In a statement to TheWrap following the lawsuit filing, Floros expressed his disappointment, stating, “I went onto a reality show and ended up with only one leg at 22 years old, having felt like I was slowly dying.” The legal action targets AcunMedya, AcunMedya Global, Acun LLC, Turkish businessman Acun Ilicali, and the parent company of Skai TV.
The court documents contain testimonies from Floros and other contestants detailing the events that transpired. Floros highlighted that contestants were expected to engage in fishing activities while competing, with the lawsuit alleging a lack of safety measures despite the known risks of heavy boat traffic in the area.
Floros and his fellow contestant, Emmanouil Malliaros, were fishing when the tragic incident occurred. Malliaros mentioned that there were previous encounters with boats passing too close to the shore, indicating a lack of regard for the safety of the contestants. The lawsuit asserts that the production team failed to implement necessary precautions on the day of the accident.
Floros, whose life has been profoundly altered by the incident, questioned the necessity of such risks for a reality show. Although Survivor Greece shares a title with the long-running U.S. series, it is not affiliated with the American version, which recently marked its 50th season. AcunMedya, the production company behind Survivor Greece, is involved in various international editions of the franchise.
Floros’s legal representatives, Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, filed the lawsuit in Florida based on AcunMedya and Ilicali’s connections to the state. Floros revealed that his decision to participate in Survivor Greece was influenced by the show’s ties to Florida and the promise of a luxurious trip to Miami for the winner. Despite these promises, Floros claims to have not received adequate support during his recovery.
Efforts to obtain a response from AcunMedya regarding the lawsuit were unsuccessful at the time of publication. Apart from Survivor Greece, AcunMedya is responsible for producing various international adaptations of the show in countries such as Turkey, Mexico, Romania, and Germany.
