Family of Redondo Beach Skipper who Perished at Sea Files Lawsuit

Family members of a skipper who died during a yacht race two years ago are suing the maker of an emergency alert system that allegedly failed to work as advertised.

Redondo Beach resident Theofanis Mavromatis, 49, captained a boat found floating but in pieces off the Coronado Islands April 28, 2012.

An investigation determined the Aegean, a 37-foot Hunter, ran into the tip of North Coronado Island and broke into pieces. The U.S. Coast Guard partly blamed the accident on not having a lookout on deck.

Mavromatis' widow, Loren Christina Mavromatis, and her three children filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court against SPOT LLC, as well as Amazon.com, where the product was allegedly purchased.

"SPOT saves," a promotion for the service states, according to the complaint. "Use this function in the event of a life-threatening or other critical emergency to notify emergency services of your GPS location and that you need assistance."

The suit alleges wrongful death, negligence and breach of warranty. It seeks unspecified damages as well as compensation for burial costs.

A SPOT representative did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment.

Mavromatis, a telecommunications and aerospace consultant, and three other men died during the 2012 Newport to Ensenada regatta. Debris from Mavromatis' boat, The Aegean, was found about eight miles off the Mexican coast.

According to the complaint, the plaintiffs bought a SPT GPS Messenger through Amazon.com in August 2011. They obtained basic service that included an SOS emergency feature and other services provided through the GEOS International Emergency Response Coordination Center, the suit states.

Mavromatis' boat became disabled about 1:35 a.m. April 28, 2012, leaving him and his crew "in dire need of emergency assistance," the suit states.

Mavromatis activated the SPOT system on board his boat, but it did not put him in contact with emergency help, according to the complaint.

As a result of the system's alleged failures, Mavromatis "suffered severe injuries and ultimately death," the suit states.

The body of the former Boeing and Raytheon executive was recovered eight days later by the U.S. Coast Guard, the suit states.

--City News Service