![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/police.jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
The FWC says the incident \u2018stemmed from an altercation between divers and was not related to a boating accident.\u2019<\/p>\n
A man accused of turning off a diver\u2019s oxygen supply after a dispute over a diving spot during lobster mini-season said the FWC \u201ccleared him\u201d minutes after the incident.<\/p>\n
But in a statement to the Miami Herald on Thursday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said officers located the boat that Michael Simpson was on and notified the Miami-Dade Sheriff\u2019s Office to investigate because the incident \u201cstemmed from an altercation between divers and was not related to a boating accident.\u201d<\/p>\n
Simpson, 51, is facing an attempted-murder charge in connection to the July 29 incident, which occurred half a mile east of Fisher Island. Simpson, through a family spokesperson, denied the allegation, saying he \u201cnever came into contact with, or interfered with, anyone\u2019s diving equipment.\u201d<\/p>\n
MDSO arrested Simpson and is the lead investigating agency on the case.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Member of Dade boating-safety task force denies shutting off diver\u2019s air supply<\/a><\/p>\n In its statement, the FWC said officers responded to the area, located the vessel that Simpson was on and interviewed him. But what Simpson told officers is unclear.<\/p>\n The people on the diver\u2019s boat, the FWC noted in the statement, told officers that no one aboard was injured, although they wanted to bring the matter to law enforcement\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n Around 5:30 a.m. on July 29, the diver entered the water at a known lobster-diving location, according to Simpson\u2019s arrest report. The boat\u2019s captain told investigators he had to warn someone on a 39-foot Contender to stay away from a Brownie diving system, a floating compressor that pumps fresh air through an air hose to divers.<\/p>\n Simpson became \u201cirate\u201d and said, \u201c[I\u2019ll] turn the Brownie off if I want to!\u201d before swimming over and switching it off, according to the report.<\/p>\n Witnesses told investigators that Simpson intentionally shut off the Brownie air supply, cutting off the diver\u2019s air, the report states. People aboard the first boat immediately began yelling, \u201cWe have a diver down there you a–hole,\u201d per the document.<\/p>\n The captain of the first boat jumped into the water and pulled the diver to the surface using the Brownie\u2019s air hose, according to the report. When the diver surfaced, he was tangled in both the air hose and the anchor line. He was gasping for air, appeared disoriented and didn\u2019t understand what had happened, witnesses told deputies.<\/p>\n Simpson known in boating world<\/p>\n Simpson was part of Miami-Dade County\u2019s Boater Safety and Bay Education Task Force, which was formed in 2024 following the death of 17-year-old Luciana \u201cLucy\u201d Fernandez in a Biscayne Bay boat crash, according to the task force\u2019s webpage<\/a>. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava established the task force in partnership with the Lucy Fernandez Foundation.<\/p>\n Lucy was killed and Katerina \u201cKaty\u201d Puig, now 21, was left with physical and neurological disabilities after a Sept. 4, 2022, boat crash. Doral real estate broker George Pino, who was at the helm of the vessel when it slammed into a channel marker, was found not guilty in June of manslaughter and vessel-homicide charges stemming from Lucy\u2019s death.<\/p>\n Lucy\u2019s father, Andres Fernandez and Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle were also on the task force. In July, the task force issued a report recommending more boating-safety education and enforcement of boating laws on Biscayne Bay.<\/p>\n Simpson is also the registered owner of Island Queen Cruises & Tours, according to SunBiz. The sightseeing company offers excursions, including sunset cruises, day trips from Miami to Key West, ferry service to the Bahamas and its popular \u201cMillionaire\u2019s Row\u201d cruise, which showcases the waterfront mansions of Miami Beach\u2019s rich and famous.<\/p>\n \u201cMike Simpson has devoted his life to boating safety. He has earned a reputation as one of South Florida\u2019s safest and most responsible boaters and serves on a boating safety council,\u201d the family statement says. \u201cHe looks forward to presenting the full facts in court, clearing his name, and restoring the reputation he has spent a lifetime building.\u201d<\/p>\n Miami Herald Staff Writer Milena Malaver contributed to this report.<\/p>\n![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/0410072955F.jpeg\" "\\"0410072955F.jpeg\\"")
Michael Simpson Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation <\/p>\n![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Untitled.jpg\" "\\"Untitled.jpg\\"")
Michael Simpson, third from the right in green shirt, appears on the front of a report released by Miami-Dade County\u2019s Boater Safety and Bay Education Task Force. Screengrab via Miami-Dade County <\/p>\n
![\"Profile](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_6789.jpg\")