A Florida man accused of cutting off a teenage diver's oxygen supply during a lobster diving dispute has proclaimed his innocence, asserting that the allegations against him are "100 percent not true." Michael Simpson, 51, was arrested earlier this week and charged with attempted murder following an incident on July 29 where he is accused of disabling the breathing apparatus of 18-year-old Hunter Cofer.
Simpson, who was released on a $10,000 bond, held a press conference Friday to contest the charges. "Not true. Absolutely not. [I] never touched the air belt. Never touched the machine," Simpson stated. He described reading his arrest report as "devastating."
According to a criminal complaint filed by the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, the dispute began between groups on two lobster diving boats. Simpson allegedly swam to the "brownie" third lung breathing apparatus Cofer was using and turned it off. The device floats on the water and supplies oxygen to the diver via tubes.
Witness accounts detailed in the complaint state that the operator of Cofer's boat warned a minor to stay away from the apparatus, to which Simpson allegedly responded, "I'll turn the brownie off if I want to." The complaint further alleges that Simpson fled the scene on his boat after disabling the equipment.
Simpson presented a different narrative at his press conference. He claimed that Cofer's father initiated the confrontation, yelling at Simpson's son, Conrad, and threatening him. Simpson stated he entered the water to understand the shouting and that Cofer's father then "jerked" the brownie, causing it to turn off. According to Simpson, Cofer's father then slipped and fell into the water, shouting, "Film this sh**! Murderers!"
Simpson maintains that Cofer's father was responsible for accidentally turning off the breathing apparatus, leading to the teenager surfacing disoriented and gasping for air. Simpson added that his own boat only moved about 300 yards away to de-escalate the situation, not flee.
His charge of felony attempted murder was reduced to second-degree attempted murder, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison if convicted. Simpson's attorney, Howard Srebnick, has vowed to fight the charge.
Simpson previously served as a volunteer member of Miami-Dade County's Boater Safety and Bay Education Task Force. A spokesperson for Simpson stated that he has "devoted his life to boating safety" and has a reputation as a responsible boater, looking forward to clearing his name.
An attorney for Cofer's family, Tonja Haddad, stated that the family wishes to allow the investigation to proceed without interference but "refute the recitation given by the defendant in his press conference."