Florida Professional Salvage Company Sues Yacht Owner After High-Stakes Rescue of Sinking Azimut Motor Yacht Off Key Biscayne

Fast Response Marine Towing & Salvage, LLC, a professional marine salvage company based in Florida, has filed a maritime salvage lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The lawsuit, filed under Case No. 1:26-cv-23436-RAR, targets the recreational motor yacht M/Y Compass, an 88-foot 2023 Azimut Grande 27 Metri, in rem, alongside its registered owner, All Stars Entertainment LLC, in personam. The legal action seeks a substantial salvage award and the enforcement of a preferred maritime salvage lien following a successful emergency operation in local navigable waters.

Professional Salvors Execute Emergency Rescue of Periled Luxury Yacht Taking On Water in Biscayne Bay

The maritime dispute stems from an intense emergency response that took place on May 7, 2026, when the luxury motor yacht began taking on water while underway in open water off Key Biscayne, Florida. According to the verified complaint, the captain of the vessel, Darko Dojkic, broadcasted an urgent Mayday distress call over VHF Channel 16, notifying the United States Coast Guard that the yacht was actively flooding. Captain Dojkic emphasized over the radio that the situation was critical and that he needed to get the vessel to a shipyard for an immediate emergency haul-out. Fast Response promptly dispatched two specialized salvage vessels to the scene, commanded by Captain Rafaello Giustini and Captain Bryant Niebruegge. Upon arriving at the initial coordinates, the salvors discovered the vessel was missing and had to track it down across multiple miles and changing locations, eventually spotting the drifting yacht just an eighth of a mile south of the Rickenbacker Bridge.

Fast Response Salvage Crew Stabilizes Flooded Engine Room and Prevents Catastrophic Sinking Near Rickenbacker Bridge

Upon locating the endangered vessel, Captain Niebruegge boarded the yacht at the urgent request of Captain Dojkic to assess the imminent peril. At the time of boarding, the crew discovered that the yacht’s on-board bilge pumps were completely non-operational, allowing water to submerge the propeller shafts and flood the engine room up to the bottom of the engine oil pans. Captain Niebruegge quickly secured his salvage vessel to the bow to establish a tow line, while Captain Giustini boarded with high-powered dewatering equipment to combat the severe flooding. During a systematic assessment, Captain Giustini discovered that restarting the yacht’s engines caused massive amounts of water to pour directly out of the propulsion machinery, identifying a critical failure in the engine cooling system. The salvors successfully dewatered the vessel, stabilized the influx, and safely towed the yacht into the Miami River to the Norseman Boatyard, where a pre-arranged emergency haul-out prevented further structural or mechanical ruin.

Marine Salvage Complaint Alleges Entitlement to Uplifted Award Based on Post-Casualty Value of Azimut Grande Yacht

The plaintiff asserts that without their rapid intervention, professional expertise, and specialized equipment, the vessel would have sustained catastrophic flood damage or sunk entirely. Due to the prompt and skilled actions of the salvage crew, the yacht suffered minimal permanent damage, with necessary repairs estimated between $20,000 and $30,000 for replacement cooling system components. The complaint states that the post-casualty, pre-repair fair market value of the luxury motor yacht is approximately $7,000,000. Consequently, Fast Response is claiming a total salvage award of 10% of the vessel’s value, amounting to roughly $700,000. The plaintiff argues that this amount appropriately reflects an equitable uplift, which general maritime law awards to professional salvage operations that maintain costly specialized equipment and stand ready to face hazardous conditions at sea.

Plaintiff Outlines Claims for Pure Salvage and Foreclosure of Preferred Maritime Liens Against Yacht and Corporate Owner

The verified complaint brings three distinct maritime counts before the federal court: a claim for a pure salvage award against both defendants, a count for the foreclosure of a maritime lien against the vessel in rem, and a count for the foreclosure of a maritime lien against the corporate owner in personam. Under long-standing United States general maritime law, rendering successful, voluntary salvage services to a vessel in marine peril automatically generates a preferred maritime lien against the property. The lawsuit requests that the court issue a warrant for the arrest of the yacht by the United States Marshal. If the requested salvage award is not paid or if proper security is not posted to release the vessel, the plaintiff intends to seek a court-ordered federal marshal’s auction to sell the yacht and satisfy the outstanding maritime debt, alongside recovering contractually backed attorneys’ fees and litigation costs.

Contact a Maritime Salvage and Vessel Contract Attorney Today to Protect Your Marine Assets and Claims

Vessel owners, operators, and marine service providers facing complex salvage disputes, vessel arrests, or maritime lien foreclosures must navigate the strict nuances of federal admiralty law. When a vessel encounters severe peril or flooding, the legal obligations and financial exposure resulting from emergency assistance require immediate clarity and experienced representation. If you are involved in a maritime salvage dispute, need to enforce a maritime lien, or require legal guidance regarding an in rem vessel arrest in Florida waters, contact our team of dedicated maritime lawyers today. We are here to help you navigate your rights and secure your maritime interests.

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Disclaimer: Our firm does not represent the plaintiff in this case and is not involved in the litigation. The information provided is a summary of allegations based on publicly available court filings. We make no representations about the truth of these allegations, are not commenting on the merits of the case, and are not predicting any outcome.