My husband died in a snorkeling accident in Hawaii – he would still be alive today if he had been warned about this little-known but deadly danger

A Michigan woman has filed a lawsuit against several Hawaiian authorities after her 38-year-old husband died while snorkeling.

Patti Johnson is suing the Fairmont Kea Lani Resort, the Hawaiian Tourism Authority and the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau after her husband Ray Johnson’s death was ruled a “drowning” in the autopsy report.

She believes that Ray’s death, which occurred before her eyes, was in no way similar to a “traditional” drowning and was in fact due to ROPE (Rapid Onset Pulmonary Edema), which may have been exacerbated by her recent flight.

“Hardly a minute goes by in my life when I don’t think about him,” she told ABC News.

Dr. Meilan Han, chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of Michigan, explained: “Long-haul flights have an impact on the lungs.”

“Soon they started screaming: Call 911!” That’s when I ran to the beach. And I ran – I got to the beach. They pulled him out. “His head snapped back and I think he was gone at that point,” Patti recalls.

“After three days you’ll be back to normal, but if you snorkel after that long flight you have a significantly increased risk of death.”

In her lawsuit, Patti alleges that all three defendants failed to educate the public about the potential dangers of ROPE.

“I don’t want other people to go through what we went through and lose a family member to — lose your husband like that.”

“It’s just heartbreaking and preventable, and just, you know, just to be aware of it, make people aware of it,” she told the outlet.

Patti said that minutes before his death, Ray was snorkeling with friends on Wailea Beach, which fronts the resort, when she suddenly stopped and realized something was wrong.

After a few seconds, she noticed other snorkelers helping Ray as he tried to keep his head above water and made his way to shore.

“Soon they started screaming: Call 911!” That’s when I ran to the beach. And I ran – I got to the beach. They pulled him out. “His head snapped back and I think he was gone at that point,” Patti recalls.

She also told NewsNation’s Morning in America that there was a medical conference at the resort and many doctors and nurses responded to her call for help, but nothing could be done.

Ray was snorkeling with friends at Wailea Beach (pictured) when the incident occurred

Patti believes her husband suffered from ROPE – rapid onset pulmonary edema – which caused his death

The coroner later ruled Ray’s death a drowning, but Patti refuses to believe that.

“I saw him come in, how could he drown?” According to her friends who snorkeled with him, Ray was talking and also diving under the water.

“At one point he came over and said, ‘You have to help me, I’m having trouble breathing,’ and that’s when he decided to go back to shore. “I don’t think people are going to be entertained when people are drowning in a conditional way,” she said.

Instead, Patti believes her husband suffered from ROPE.

The couple stayed at the Fairmont Kea Lani in February. The resort has not yet commented on the lawsuit

In her lawsuit, Patti alleges that all three defendants failed to educate the public about the potential dangers of ROPE

According to Yale Medicine, ROPE is a condition in which fluid builds up in the lungs, making it difficult to breathe.

Most often, fluid buildup is caused by a pressure imbalance in the heart, but other causes can also cause excess fluid to enter the lungs.

Symptoms include difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, wheezing, and shallow breathing.

Jay Stuemke, the family’s attorney, confirmed that Ray was an experienced snorkeler and believes the couple’s long flight contributed to his death.

The Hawaiian Tourism Authority, the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau and Fairmont Kea Lani have not yet commented on the lawsuit.