Family sues CDA Technical Institute and instructor after school graduate drowns while scuba diving

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CDA Technical Institute is in the spotlight once again. This time, a Tampa family is suing the Jacksonville-based dive school and one of its instructors in a wrongful death lawsuit.

“My son should be here. He should be here, and he’s not,” Isaiah Johnson’s mother Kimberly Cobb said.

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Isaiah Johnson, 21, passed away on Sept. 4, 2021, while scuba diving at Ginnie Springs as part of a graduation celebration.

Johnson had just graduated from CDA Technical Institute a month prior.

“Five months after his 21st birthday we were reading his eulogy,” Cobb said.

His family believes his death was preventable. That’s why they filed a civil suit earlier this month against CDA and one of its instructors, Justin Morin.

Morin is facing one count of negligence. CDA is facing one count of vicarious liability, and together they’re facing a wrongful death claim.

The suit alleges Morin was hosting a CDA event at Ginnie Springs in which Johnson and fellow graduates attended and soon later took part in scuba diving. It states Morin brought CDA scuba gear and failed to inform park employees they intended to dive.

Attorney Greg Francis, who is representing Cobb, said Johnson only had experience as a hardhat diver, not a scuba diver.

Nonetheless, the lawsuit claims Morin allowed him to get in the water anyway.

“Isaiah was not trained specifically to dive into the caves that are at Ginnie Springs. We believe that caused and or contributed to his ultimate death,” Francis said.

Francis claims Morin did not supervise the use of the CDA equipment.

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“They provided the dive equipment for this dive on this day. And when you’re in an ultra-hazardous activity like that and you allow someone else to use that equipment, it is our position you are also liable for what happens with that equipment,” Francis said.

On Sept. 4, 2021, Johnson went in and was later dragged out.

In a police report Action News Jax obtained from the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office, a witness told police he went underwater with Johnson. He said they were under for 15-20 minutes before he noticed Johnson was having difficulties. Johnson was unresponsive by the time he could get help.

“What we do believe is as an instructor who is using dive equipment from CDA that there are certain policies, procedures and protocols that should be followed. and they weren’t in this case,” Francis said.

After Johnson died, the suit alleges Morin and some of the other graduates continued their party at Ginnie Springs.

“I want CDA to be held accountable. I want the instructor to be held accountable,” Cobb said.

This isn’t the only drowning death associated with the school.

Action News Jax has been investigating two others which occurred months ago and an accidental overdose outside the dorms in 2019.

“It shows the family that it’s not an isolated incident with CDA, that there are a number of issues there,” Francis said.

Johnson’s case involves drugs and alcohol as well. The lawsuit alleges Morin provided alcohol and narcotics at the party.

Francis said CDA has not been forthcoming about what happened at Ginnie Springs.

“CDA has not been cooperative at all in this investigation thus far,” Francis said.

We spoke on the phone with CDA owner Captain Ray Black who said the party was not a CDA event, and he doesn’t have control over what his employees do in their free time.

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He did not want to do an interview but said Morin had the authorization to use the scuba equipment outside of the school, but no one else did and should not have used it.

However, he maintains Morin did nothing wrong and said he was not reprimanded for what happened. Black said Morin resigned from his job on his own accord a few weeks later and does not work at CDA anymore.

Johnson’s family still believes someone is responsible for their son’s death.

“I absolutely see a pattern. A pattern of lack of institutional control, a lack of oversight,” Francis said.

A 21-year-old’s life was cut short. Now the family wants justice and accountability.

“To them my son was nothing. He’s somebody. He absolutely is somebody,” Cobb said.

While we had Black on the phone, we asked him if he thought there was an alcohol and drug problem at the school.

He said it’s a societal problem and people are responsible for themselves.

The family’s attorney said Johnson’s toxicology report came back negative for alcohol and drugs.

As for CDA, Black said they plan to continue with their next class due to start in a few weeks.

Read the full lawsuit below:

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