Widow files wrongful death lawsuit against Riviera Beach over canal rescue

WPBF 25 NEWS STARTS WITH BREAKING NEWS TONIGHT, A WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT NOW FILED AGAINST THE CITY OF RIVIERA BEACH CLAIMING A FAILED CANAL RESCUE ENDED IN A DEATH BECAUSE OF CRITICAL MISTAKES MADE BY FIREFIGHTERS IN THE WATER AND ON THE SHORE, COMES AFTER WPBF 25 INVESTIGATES. EXCLUSIVE FIRST BROKE THE STORY. OUR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER TERRI PARKER HAS BEEN DIGGING INTO THE CASE FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS NOW. GOOD EVENING. I’M TODD MCDERMOTT AND I’M FELICIA RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US HERE AT SIX. TAKE A LOOK. THIS IS VIDEO WPBF 25 INVESTIGATES FIRST UNCOVERED LAST NOVEMBER, SHOWING THE DESPERATE MOMENTS AFTER HEATH THOMAS’S SUV ENDED UP IN A RIVIERA BEACH CANAL FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS, WE’VE BEEN INVESTIGATING WHAT WENT WRONG, AND NOW A LAWSUIT FILED THIS AFTERNOON BY HIS WIDOW CLAIMS THOMAS WAS STILL ALIVE IN A VEHICLE THAT WAS FLOATING, STABLE AND NOT ACTIVELY SINKING. WHEN FIREFIGHTERS ARRIVED. BUT THE SUIT ALLEGES, AFTER CREWS BROKE INTO THE SUV, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SINK AND QUICKLY SUBMERGED. THE LAWSUIT CAUSED THE MAN’S DEATH PREVENTABLE AND ACCUSES THE CITY OF FAILURES IN TRAINING, EQUIPMENT PROVIDED AND COMMAND DECISIONS MADE ON THAT SCENE. PLAINTIFF’S LAWYERS ALSO POINT TO FINDINGS FIRST EXPOSED IN OUR WPBF 25 NEWS INVESTIGATION. THEY INCLUDED VIOLATIONS OF SAFETY PROTOCOLS DURING THE RESCUE AND FAILURES IN OPERATING GUIDELINES MADE BY THE ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF, WHO WAS THERE AND IN CHARGE. THOMAS’S WIDOW, GINNI THOMAS, AND HER ATTORNEYS ARE EXPECTED TO SPEAK TOMORROW MORNING AT THE CANA

Widow files wrongful death lawsuit against Riviera Beach over canal rescue

Updated: 8:13 PM EDT Apr 15, 2026

Editorial Standards ⓘ

A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against the city of Riviera Beach, alleging that critical mistakes made by firefighters during a canal rescue led to the death of Heath Thomas. Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 NewsThe lawsuit, filed this afternoon by Thomas’ widow, Gia Thomas, claims that her husband was still alive in a vehicle that was “floating, stable, and not actively sinking” when firefighters arrived at the scene. However, the suit alleges that after crews broke into the SUV, “the vehicle began to sink and quickly submerged.” The lawsuit describes Thomas’ death as preventable and accuses the city of failures in training, equipment provided, and command decisions made during the rescue. The plaintiffs’ attorneys also pointed to findings first exposed in WPBF 25 Investigates’ report last November, which included violations of safety protocols during the rescue and failures in operating guidelines made by the assistant fire chief who was present and in charge at the scene. Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.Gia Thomas and her attorneys are expected to speak tomorrow morning at the canal where the incident occurred.

RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. —

A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against the city of Riviera Beach, alleging that critical mistakes made by firefighters during a canal rescue led to the death of Heath Thomas.

Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News

The lawsuit, filed this afternoon by Thomas’ widow, Gia Thomas, claims that her husband was still alive in a vehicle that was “floating, stable, and not actively sinking” when firefighters arrived at the scene. However, the suit alleges that after crews broke into the SUV, “the vehicle began to sink and quickly submerged.”

The lawsuit describes Thomas’ death as preventable and accuses the city of failures in training, equipment provided, and command decisions made during the rescue.

The plaintiffs’ attorneys also pointed to findings first exposed in WPBF 25 Investigates’ report last November, which included violations of safety protocols during the rescue and failures in operating guidelines made by the assistant fire chief who was present and in charge at the scene.

Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.

Gia Thomas and her attorneys are expected to speak tomorrow morning at the canal where the incident occurred.

Source link