MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A man initially charged with felony attempted murder for allegedly shutting off a young diver’s oxygen supply is clearing the air over what happened on the water.
In an exclusive interview with 7News, 51-year-old Michael Simpson said his accusers have it all wrong about what happened while lobster diving off Fisher Island.
“It’s a complete misunderstanding,” said Simpson. “One-hundred percent no. Why would I intentionally turn off a compressor with somebody possibly on the bottom, breathing?”
The father of two is accused of turning off the air supply machine, also known as a “brownie” device, which provides fresh air to divers underwater, for a juvenile swimmer who was diving for lobsters on another boat on July 29.
“It’s just not true,” said one of Simpson’s sons who was present during the 7News interview.
Days after the lobster mini-season altercation between the two diving groups, Simpson was arrested and charged with felony attempted murder. The judge later reduced his charge to attempted second-degree murder.
The divers who accuse Simpson of the alleged crime recorded the incident, which, they say, shows him intentionally switching off the brownie device for a younger diver that was beneath the surface.
Simpson argues that the footage does not show that, saying it instead only shows Simpson and his two sons swimming back to their boat.
“There’s nobody in the water, there’s nobody diving. It’s pitch black,” said Simpson.
He said it began with his group heading out in two boats that morning before the sun was up, and before anybody was diving.
At some point, Simpson says they encountered a combative group who were territorial over their spot on the water.
“Right before we went in the water, they continue to try to tell us they were gonna have us arrested. They were gonna call the [Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission],” said Simpson.
“If you guys touch my brownie or my kids, I’m gonna have your asses [expletive] taken to jail,” another diver shouted at Simpson’s group, according to cell phone video.
That group had mentioned the brownie device some 40 minutes before the inciting encounter, Simpson said.
“We were 100% confident we weren’t doing anything wrong. We knew there were plenty of lobsters for everybody,” said Simpson.
For a time, each group managed to collect lobsters peacefully until the chaos began.
“Get the [expletive] away from my brownie. I’m gonna [expletive] you up,” a diver from the other boat shouted.
Simpson said a man from the other boat began yelling that his group was too close to their breathing device.
At the same time, cell phone video shows a person from the other boat swimming near the device.
“He’s holding the rope attached to the brownie,” said Simpson.
Simpson claims that man pulled the rope attached to the breathing device.
“He kind of gives it a little bit of a tug, like the motor just went, boom,” said Simpson, signaling that it shut down.
Simpson believes the tugging of the rope attached to the device is what caused it to be turned off, also leading to the man falling into the water.
Moments after the feisty encounter, Simpson said his boat party left the area and began collecting lobsters some 300 yards away.
That was when they encountered authorities with the FWC, who said they were responding to a call by the party of accusers.
Simpson gave his side of the story to FWC officials, with one officer telling them, “I know that you guys know what you’re doing, looks like it. You guys be safe.”
Simpson added that had there been an emergency in the water involving that group, he would not hesitate to help.
“I had my two children out there. If any of those people in the water would’ve had a problem, I would’ve been the first person to save them,” said Simpson.
Simpson intends to plead not guilty to the attempted murder charge.
7News has attempted to reach out to members of the other group of divers several times but has not received a response.
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