(HE)
TODAY WAS EXPECTED TO BE THE
FINAL DAY OF TESTIMONY IN THE
NATHAN CARMAN CIVIL TRIAL AT
FEDERAL COURT IN PROVIDENCE.
(SN)
BOTH THE DEFENSE AND PLAINTIFF
HAD ABOUT 2 HOURS LEFT TO
SPEAK... WHICH THEY USED UP
TODAY.
EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER KAIT
WALSH WAS IN COURT ALL DAY.
SHE JOINS US LIVE IN PROVIDENCE
- WHERE TESTIMONY JUST WRAPPED
UP.
THE FOCUS OF THIS TRIAL IS
SUPPOSED TO BE SPECIFICALLY ON
THE INSURANCE CLAIM OVER
CARMAN'S BOAT - THE CHICKEN POX
- WHICH SANK IN SEPTEMBER OF
2016.
BUT TODAY - WE HEARD CARMAN TALK
EXTENSIVELY ABOUT WHAT HE SAID
WERE THE FINAL MOMENTS WITH HIS
MOTHER - AND TWO WITNESSES
DOUBTING HIS STORY OF SURVIVAL.
CARMAN IS BEING SUED BY THE BOAT
INSURANCE COMPANY BOAT-U-S
SAYING HE CAN'T HAVE HIS
85-THOUSAND DOLLAR INSURANCE
CLAIM - BECAUSE HE ALTERED HIS
BOAT MAKING IT UNSEAWORTHY - AND
HE DIDN'T NOTIFY THEM OF THE
CHANGES.
CARMAN SAID TODAY - HE THOUGHT
UNDER HIS INSURANCE POLICY, IF
THE BOAT SANK, HE WAS COVERED.
PERIOD.
THE JUDGE THEN ASKED CARMAN
ABOUT HIS FINAL MOMENTS WITH HIS
MOTHER - CARMAN SAID SHE WAS
QUOTE MORE OF THE PROBLEM THAN
THE SOLUTION IN TENSE SITUATIONS
- SO WHEN HE SAW THEY MIGHT BE
IN PERIL - HE GAVE HER A TASK TO
DO - WHILE HE GATHERED SAFETY
GEAR.
HE DOESN'T RECALL IF HE CALLED
OUT FOR HER AT THAT POINT - BUT
ONCE HE GOT IN THE LIFE RAFT -
HE STOOD UP ON IT - SEARCHING
FOR HER AND CALLING FOR HER -
WITH NO SUCCESS.
WE THEN HEARD FROM OCEANOGRAPHER
RICHARD LIMEBURNER - WHO I QUOTE
IN SAYING "I DON'T SEE HOW A
DRIFTING LIFE RAFT CAN DRIFT
UPSTREAM OR DRIFT UPWIND. IN MY
OPINION, THE LOCATION OF WHERE
MR. CARMAN WAS FOUND CONFLICTS
WITH MY ESTIMATION OF HIS DRIFT
PATH."
WE ALSO HEARD THE EXPERT
TESTIMONY FROM A WILDERNESS
EXPERT.
HEAR WHAT HE SAID - AND WHY THE
JUDGE WON'T CONSIDER IT - NEXT
AT 6.
LIVE IN PROVIDENCE, I'M KAIT
WALSH - EYEWITNESS NEWS.
(HE)
EYEWITNESS NEWS.
(HE)
NEW DETAILS NOW ----
ON THE FINAL DAY OF TESTIMONY IN
NATHAN CARMAN'S CIVIL TRIAL ---
WHICH JUST WRAPPED UP A SHORT
TIME AGO.
(SN)
WE'VE LEARNED TESTIMONY FROM ONE
WITNESS TODAY, HAS BEEN THROWN
OUT BY THE JUDGE.
EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER KAIT
WALSH WAS IN FEDERAL COURT TODAY
AND JOINS US LIVE FROM
PROVIDENCE.
CARMAN'S ATTORNEY - AND THE
INSURANCE COMPANY'S ATTORNEYS
EACH HAD ABOUT TWO HOURS LEFT
FOR TESTIMONY- AND THEY MADE
SURE THEY USED EVERY MOMENT OF
IT.
IN FACT - THEY ALL JUST LEFT
FEDERAL COURT - LESS THAN AN
HOUR AGO - SAYING - IT'S YET TO
BE DETERMINED WHEN CLOSING
ARGUMENTS WILL BEGIN.
NATHAN CARMAN HAS BEEN SUSPECTED
- BUT NEVER FORMALLY CHARGED IN
THE DEATHS OF HIS GRANDFATHER OR
MOTHER.
THIS CIVIL TRIAL - HOWEVER - IS
SUPPOSED TO FOCUS SOLELY ON THE
INSURANCE POLICY OVER HIS BOAT -
THE CHICKEN POX - WHICH SANK IN
SEPTEMBER OF 2016 - ALLEGEDLY
WITH HIS MOTHER ON IT.
BOAT U-S SAYS HE SHOULDN'T BE
PAID THE 85-THOUSAND DOLLAR
CLAIM BECAUSE CARMAN'S BOAT WAS
UNSEAWORTHY - AND HE NEVER
NOTIFIED THEM OF CHANGES HE MADE
TO IT.
CARMAN TOOK THE STAND FRIDAY -
SAYING HE BOUGHT AN INSURANCE
POLICY WITH BOAT-U-S NOT HAVING
READ THE POLICY BEFOREHAND - BUT
THAT HE THOUGHT IF THE BOAT
SANK, IT WOULD BE COVERED.
PERIOD.
THE JUDGE ASKED CARMAN ABOUT HIS
FINAL MOMENTS WITH HIS MOTHER -
HE SAID HIS MOTHER WAS QUOTE
MORE OF THE PROBLEM THAN THE
SOLUTION WHEN IT CAME TO TENSE
SITUATIONS - SO HE GAVE HER A
TASK TO DO WHILE HE PREPARED
SAFETY GEAR.
CARMAN ALSO DESCRIBED HOW HE
FILLED HOLES ONBOARD WITH PUTTY
ADVERTISED TO BE AS STRONG AS
STEEL.
HE MAINTAINED HE WAS ON A RAFT
FOR 7 DAYS BEFORE BEING SAVED BY
CHINESE VESSEL.
BUT THEN THE INSURANCE COMPANY
HAD A WILDERNESS DOCTOR - DR.
HARRIS - TESTIFY THAT ANYONE AT
SEA FOR 7 DAYS WOULD BE EITHER
DEAD - OR HAVE EXTREME
HYPOTHERMIA - WHICH WAS NOT
EVIDENT WITH HOW CARMAN WAS
FOUND.
HOWEVER - THE JUDGE PREFACED
THAT TESTIMONY BY SAYING HE
WOULD NOT CONSIDER IT IN MAKING
A DECISION IN THIS TRIAL.
WE THEN HEARD FROM OCEANOGRAPHER
RICHARD LIMEBURNER WHO SAID HE
DIDN'T SEE HOW IT WAS POSSIBLE
FOR A DRIFTING LIFE RAFT TO
DRIFT UPSTREAM -AND THAT
CARMAN'S ALLEGED POSITION
CONFLICTED WITH SCIENCE.
CARMAN'S AUNTS' LAWYER WAS IN
COURT FOR THE TRIAL - THE FAMILY
SENT US A STATEMENT SAYING IN
PART THAT IT WAS UNFORTUNATE FOR
THE JUDGE TO CHOSE TO LIMIT THE
SCOPE OF THE TRIAL TO JUST THE
INSURANCE CLAIM.
LIVE IN PROVIDENCE - I'M KAIT