Posted on March 13, 2014

Colorado Man Could Sue Divers Who Saved Him from Submerged Car

Alyssa Newcomb, ABC News, March 10, 2014

A Colorado man, despite acknowledging that he’s lucky to be alive after being trapped in a submerged car, has filed an intent to sue his rescuers for half a million dollars.

Roy Ortiz filed his intent to sue the county of Boulder and his rescuers for a tentative $500,000 as a “preservative” measure, his attorney, Ed Ferszt, told ABCNews.com.

Ferszt said the county should have closed the road during floods in September. He said the first responders were also included because they did not realize Ortiz was trapped in the car until they prepared to lift it out of the water.

{snip}

The incident began Sept. 12 when Ortiz was driving to work. His vehicle hit part of a washed-out road and then plunged into a creek.

{snip}

Ortiz was able to find a small air bubble in the back of his car where Ferszt said his client spent two hours waiting to be rescued.

Since the accident, Ortiz has racked up $40,000 in medical bills and still has shoulder issues and trouble sleeping, including a recurring dream of shivering to death, Ferszt said.

Whether a future lawsuit is filed will depend “on Roy’s medical treatment and how that pans out,” Ferszt said.

{snip}

[Editor’s Note: VDare.com has determined that Roy Ortiz is an illegal immigrant.]