Video: Columbus Family Takes Cruise Industry Fight to Washington D. C.

[syndicaster id=’5314699′]

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Last month, we told you the story of a Columbus native who started a national campaign to improve medical care on cruise ships after her mother, Violet Butler, died while vacationing aboard ship.

In July, Amanda Butler traveled to Washington D.C. where she testified before a Senate committee about the need for basic medical care standards on cruise ship passengers. Since then, the family has been sued for 12 hundred dollars in medical bills by Carnival Cruise line. That only adds to what Amanda Butler calls the hypocrisy of the situation.

“What happened in my mother’s case is the doctor was not on the boat. So it was left up to me and a nurse to start the defibrillation process and the resuscitation,” says Butler, Violet’s daughter.

The cruise line has denied any responsibility for Violet Butler’s death. The cruise line also claims in court documents not to be responsible for providing any medical care. Butler says cruise lines need to abide by their own industry standards. The Passenger Bill of Rights authored by the Cruise Line Industry Association specifically states they’ll provide “full-time, professional emergency medical attention as needed until shore side medical care becomes available.”

“Carnival has ignored virtually all of the standards it agreed to implement as a member of CLIA and no one’s holding CLIA responsible,” says Butler.

After one trip to Capitol Hill, Butler says she won’t give up her fight for more accountability so no other family has to go through such a horrific experience.

“This, it has to change for the safety and welfare of future passengers and had they implemented what they claim, my mother would be here,” says Butler.

Butler is headed back to Washington D.C. to speak before the Senate Commerce Committee next week. Butler says she will continue to spread the word about cruise line passenger rights and press forward until the bill is amended.