A Florida man faces an attempted murder charge after allegedly shutting off a diver's air supply during a dispute over a lobster diving spot off the coast of Miami-Dade County. The incident occurred on July 29, during Florida's annual lobster mini season.
Michael Joseph Simpson, 51, surrendered to authorities and was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on an attempted murder charge. His bond was set at $10,000.
According to an arrest affidavit, the confrontation began when Simpson allegedly approached another boat at high speed and anchored nearby, claiming the group was in "his spot." He is accused of then threatening to disable the surface-supplied air system of an 18-year-old diver searching for lobsters. Investigators allege Simpson then entered the water and intentionally shut off the air supply.
Witnesses reportedly yelled at Simpson, and the owner of the diver's boat entered the water to bring the 18-year-old to the surface. The diver was reportedly disoriented but not injured. Simpson allegedly left the scene before deputies arrived.
Simpson's attorney, Howard Srebnick, denied the allegations, stating that investigators ignored evidence supporting his client's account. Srebnick claimed that video evidence shows the air system became entangled while Simpson was not near it and that his client did not flee but instead moved his boat to de-escalate the situation before cooperating with officials.
Srebnick added that eyewitnesses from two boats corroborate Simpson's version of events and criticized the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office for arresting his client before interviewing witnesses he described as exculpatory. He expressed optimism that the State Attorney's Office would dismiss the charges after reviewing the evidence.