Honeymoon Bonding: Newlyweds Are Suing Hawaii Snorkeling Company For $5 Million After They Were Abandoned In The Ocean And Had To Swim All The Way Back To Shore For Survival

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Honeymoons can sometimes be a tricky venture. Despite just being married it can be a scenario where you realize the wedding was a giant mistake. For example, maybe your girl goes scuba diving and you stumble upon her fornicating with said scuba instructor.  

On the flip side the resort may offer some great bonding experiences that could further grow your relationship. Here are a few I came across while doing some research. 

-Cliff jumping 

-Getting hot at the blackjack table together (if she's hitting on 15 while the dealer is showing a 6, run) 

-Wife swap with a couple you meet at the bar 

-One of those drinking painting classes

-Getting abandoned in the ocean by the snorkeling company you just paid way too much money for and being forced to swim for your lives in rocky waters with sharks potentially in the area and no one around to save you. 

(NY Post) Alexander Burckle and Elizabeth Webster went on the snorkeling trip to Lanai, a small island near Maui, in September 2021. Then the waters got turbulent, they said. Suddenly, the boat from Maui Sail Company was gone. After they realized the boat had left, the couple tried to keep afloat and make distress signals, but they eventually ended up in even deeper, choppier water, according to court filings.

The newlyweds “were beginning to panic and were struggling to swim in the ocean conditions,” they said in the litigation. “They feared that drowning was imminent.”

the pair was eventually able to make it to the shore of Lanai. By the time they reached the island they were “fatigued and dehydrated,” according to the lawsuit.

Webster tried writing “SOS” and “Help” in the sand, but no boats came to their rescue, although local residents later found them, gave them water, and let them use their phones.

Some may look at this as a negative and I get that. Being on the verge of death in what's supposed to be a great, relaxing time with your wife should not be in the cards. Kinda infuriating the article doesn't say how far the swim to shore was, but in my head I'm thinking at least half a mile. Not great!

I personally see this as a positive for the couple. 

For starters, everyone is alive. Maybe you got a little dehydrated and can never go into any body of water ever again without having PTSD, but life continues. I'm also going to say working together to save each other's lives is as productive a bonding experience can be. If you can get through this you can make it through anything. 

Last and easily the biggest positive out of this ordeal is the ensuing payday. While it's not known if they're going to get the full $5 million from the snorkeling company, you gotta think they're going to get a haul. 

Webster later called Sail Maui, which did not notice that anyone had gone missing on the tour, according to the legal filing. Jared Washkowitz, the couple’s attorney, told Insider that the tour company was disorganized and “didn’t give set boundaries,” identify a lifeguard, or ensure snorkelers used a buddy system. He also said the company conducted three headcounts, but still never realized the pair was missing until it was too late.

So everyone is alive, you're closer than you've ever been, and you now have millions of dollars? All that money you sunk into the honeymoon? You get it all back and more. You hit the parlay of your life. Sure you're going to need a lot of therapy down the road, but the way I see it the positives far out-weigh the negatives with those whole ordeal. 

Congrats to the beautiful couple, wishing you both the best. 

Word to the wise, do not watch the movie Open Water. 

Bonus for making it this far in the blog: Jessica Alba snorkeling