Stavros Floros, 22, is suing the producers of Survivor Greece for more than $100 million after a boat propeller severed his leg during filming in the Dominican Republic.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday, names Turkish production company AcunMedya and Greek broadcaster Skai TV as defendants. Floros appeared on Season 13 of the reality competition, which strands contestants on a remote island and tasks them with surviving for a cash prize.
According to court documents, Floros was spearfishing in open water near Bayahibe on May 22 when a tour boat struck him. The filing states he was rushed to a Miami hospital, where he spent two months undergoing multiple surgical procedures. These included operations for the traumatic amputation of his left leg and surgical repair and reconstruction of his severely injured right leg.
Floros accuses the producers of negligence in how they structured the show’s format. The court documents claim “the producers built the show’s entire format around requiring contestants to spearfish in open water — waters heavily trafficked by tourist boats near Bayahibe, Dominican Republic — without safety boats, spotters, protected zones, or adequate warning markers, despite prior near-misses and even a prior fatality in the exact same waters.”
He also alleged that the severed portion of his leg was never recovered from the water. The filing notes that he survived only because a stranger from the boat that struck him applied a tourniquet.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages in excess of $100 million. This includes damages for “past and future pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life.”
AcunMedya pushed back against the framing of the incident in a statement to the Toronto Sun. The company said the accident happened during a break from filming.
“Following our initial announcement regarding the serious accident involving a Survivor contestant in the Dominican Republic, and out of a sense of responsibility toward the public and, above all, toward the contestant himself, we consider it necessary to clarify the exact circumstances under which the incident occurred,” the statement read.
“According to the information available so far, the accident appears to have happened when a tourist boat injured the contestant while he was spearfishing outside the competitive process of the reality show,” AcunMedya continued. “From the very first moment, there was an immediate response to provide assistance and safely transport the injured contestant, while the competent port authorities are investigating the causes of the incident in order to fully determine the circumstances.”
The production company added that “the contestant remains hospitalised in serious but stable condition and is out of danger.”
Skai TV, which airs Survivor Greece in Greece, suspended broadcast of the show following the incident. In a statement to Greek news site eKathimerini, the broadcaster sought to distance itself from production responsibilities while pledging support for Floros.
“Despite the fact that the production of Survivor is carried out exclusively under the control and responsibility of AcunMedya, SKAI is closely monitoring developments on the participant’s health and will contribute in every possible way to his treatment, as well as to any hospitalization and rehabilitation care that may be required,” the station said.
The May 22 incident occurred while Floros was participating in the open-water spearfishing that forms part of the survival challenges on the long-running reality franchise. The show films in the Dominican Republic but broadcasts to Greek audiences, with contestants competing in physical and endurance-based tasks while living in basic conditions on a remote island.