Miami Beach, Florida — A dispute over a popular lobster diving location off the South Florida coast has led to an attempted murder charge after investigators say a Miami Beach man deliberately cut off a teenage diver’s air supply while the victim was underwater.
The incident, which unfolded during Florida’s annual Lobster Sport Season, has sparked widespread discussion within the local diving community and raised fresh concerns about safety during the highly competitive recreational event.
Argument Began Over Popular Diving Spot
According to investigators, the incident occurred around 5:30 a.m. on July 29 near Fisher Island, where an 18-year-old diver had entered the water to hunt for lobsters.
Authorities said the victim was using a Brownie Third Lung, a floating air-supply system that delivers breathable air to divers through a hose connected to the surface.
An arrest report states that another vessel, described as a Conch boat, approached the area at a high rate of speed before anchoring roughly 10 feet from the victim’s boat.
A verbal confrontation followed after occupants of the arriving vessel allegedly claimed the first boat was occupying their preferred diving location.
According to investigators, the first boat’s operator responded that he had anchored there before the other group arrived.
Air Supply Allegedly Shut Off While Diver Was Underwater
Authorities say the situation escalated when a 39-foot Contender boat arrived nearby.
Investigators allege that after the victim’s boat operator warned someone from the Contender to stay away from the floating breathing apparatus, Michael Joseph Simpson, 51, became upset.
According to the arrest report, Simpson allegedly stated:
“I’ll turn the Brownie off if I want to.”
Investigators say Simpson then swam to the Brownie Third Lung and turned it off, cutting the diver’s air supply while the teen remained underwater.
Authorities said cellphone video appears to capture a woman aboard a nearby boat shouting warnings that a diver was still below the surface.
The victim’s boat operator immediately entered the water, followed the air hose, and pulled the teen to safety. According to investigators, the diver surfaced gasping for air and appeared disoriented.
Charges Reduced During Court Appearance
Simpson was initially arrested on attempted felony murder charges. However, during a court appearance Wednesday, a judge agreed with defense attorneys that the original charge was not legally appropriate.
The charge was reduced to second-degree attempted murder, and the court set bond at $10,000. Authorities arrested Simpson several days after the incident.
Family Strongly Denies Allegations
In a statement released through a family spokesperson, Simpson denied interfering with the diver’s equipment.
The statement described the accusations as “categorically false” and claimed that multiple eyewitnesses contradict investigators’ version of events.
According to the family, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers interviewed Simpson at the scene and initially cleared him, while also arguing that video footage shows the accuser becoming tangled in his own diving hose rather than Simpson shutting off the breathing system.
The family said Simpson intends to contest the charges in court and believes the full evidence will clear his name.
Incident Draws Attention Across South Florida Diving Community
The case has attracted significant attention because Simpson previously served as a volunteer member of the Miami-Dade County Boater Safety and Bay Education Task Force, a temporary advisory panel that developed boating safety recommendations before concluding its work in May 2025.
The incident has also renewed conversations within South Florida’s diving community, where experienced divers say disagreements over productive lobster locations occasionally occur during the short sport season.
Veteran diver Mike Zimmer urged boaters and divers to avoid confrontations over fishing spots, saying no one owns a location on the water and encouraging participants to simply move to another area rather than allow disputes to escalate.
The criminal case remains pending, and the allegations against Simpson have not been proven in court.
What are your thoughts on this case?
Should penalties be harsher for anyone accused of interfering with another person’s life-support equipment in the water? Share your opinion in the comments below.
