MEDIA CONFERENCE: Documentary Filmmaker Rob Stewart’s Death was a ‘Preventable Tragedy,’ Family Filing Lawsuit Tuesday
Family Set To Speak During Media Conference Tuesday Morning
Coral Gables, Florida – The family of Canadian conservationist and documentary film producer Rob Stewart, whose body was found off the coast of Islamorada on February 3, is filing a lawsuit against several businesses and people involved in his fatal dive. The Stewart family hopes the legal action will push out and/or change the ways of all irresponsibly operating diving businesses and help keep attention on Stewart’s mission of ocean conservation. The family is set to speak at a media conference, to be held Tuesday, March 28 at 10:45 AM at The Haggard Law Firm, 330 Alhambra Circle, Coral Gables, FL 33134.
Among the defendants in the case is the company Add Helium, which is owned by Peter Sotis, who is also named in the lawsuit. The Ft. Lauderdale-based company was in charge of the dive and sold the equipment utilized by the divers. Sotis has a checkered past. He is a convicted felon, is under investigation for utilizing unapproved Chinese air tanks as detailed in a Miami Herald article (click to read Herald article), and has been accused of selling military-grade scuba equipment to a Libyan militant.
“When you learn more about these defendants and the history of negligent behavior by people like Mr. Sotis, you come to realize this was a preventable tragedy that was going to happen to someone,” says Michael Haggard of The Haggard Law Firm (www.haggardlawfirm.com), which represents the Stewart family.
Stewart was filming the next installment of the “Sharkwater” series when he went missing on January 31. The original “Sharkwater” was released in 2006 and received international acclaim, garnering more than 50 awards. Stewart’s family is hopeful to complete the documentary Rob died trying to make. “Sharkwater: Extinction” focuses on more than 80 million sharks killed per year that are unaccounted for by scientists. For more info: www.sharkwater.com and www.therevolutionmovie.com .
Media Conference Details:
Day: Tuesday March 28, 2017
Time: 10:45 AM Est
Location: The Haggard Law Firm
330 Alhambra Circle, Coral Gables, FL 33134
Notes:
– Add Helium Address: 3590 NW 54th St, Unit 1, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309
– Miami Herald article on Sotis’ alleged dealings with Libyan Militants:
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/florida-keys/article136220378.html
