The widow of a Texas A&M sailor who died when the sail-boat Cynthia Woods sank last month has filed a lawsuit against Cape Fear Yacht Works, the builder of Cynthia Woods. Linda Stone said in a press conference on July 10, that she is suing the boatbuilder, saying it will not provide her with any information about the accident.
53-year-old Roger Stone was killed rescuing Texas A&M-Galveston students on Cynthia Woods. When the keel fell off the boat, it capsized, and Stone drowned.
Also named as defendants in the suit are Bruce Marek of Marek Yacht and Design Consultants, the designer of the boat, and the Galveston company that made repairs to the boat last year. Stone has not filed any lawsuits against Texas A&M. She says she doesn’t believe the university has done anything wrong.
Stone’s family said the company refused to hand over that information and felt a lawsuit was the only way to get the information. “Keels don’t fall off boats,” Stone was quoted as saying in news reports. “Boats should be built so that keels don’t fall off.”
Cape Fear and Marek released the following statement regarding the Stone family’s lawsuit: “Cape Fear Yacht Works LLC and Mr. Bruce Marek are and have been cooperating fully with all local, state and federal investigative authorities as the investigation into the capsizing of the Cynthia Woods continues.”
