Featured Image — Recreated Description
A calm waterfront dining area at The Boathouse restaurant in Disney Springs, showing outdoor tables overlooking a scenic dock at dusk — illustrating where the tragic choking incident occurred.
Tragic Choking Incident Leads to Lawsuit Against Restaurant
A grieving mother has sued the operators of The Boathouse restaurant at Walt Disney World after her son — a 42-year-old father of three — died from choking on a steak dinner. The lawsuit, filed in federal court by the man’s estate, claims that employees delayed summoning emergency medical help, contributing to his death.
Kevin Lee Duncan, an HVAC technician from Florida, was enjoying an evening meal with family and friends at the popular waterfront restaurant in Disney Springs when he began struggling to breathe on June 8, 2025. Despite immediate efforts by his loved ones to dislodge the food, Duncan collapsed before help arrived.
Claims of Delayed Emergency Response
According to the legal complaint, staff at The Boathouse did not call 911 right away and instead first contacted on-site security. The family’s attorneys argue this hesitation worsened Duncan’s condition, leading to cardiopulmonary arrest and his subsequent death at a nearby hospital.
The lawsuit also alleges multiple failures in emergency preparedness, including a lack of critical lifesaving equipment on the premises and the deletion of surveillance footage from the incident.
Representatives for Gibsons Restaurant Group — the company that owns and operates The Boathouse — expressed condolences to the family but declined further comment due to the ongoing litigation.
Family Seeks Accountability and Answers
The suit, brought by Kevin Duncan’s mother — who is also the executor of his estate — seeks damages for negligence, wrongful death, negligent training and supervision, and failure to summon emergency medical assistance. Family lawyers say they hope the case will uncover exactly what went wrong and hold the restaurant accountable.
Disney itself is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit, and the company has not publicly responded to requests for comment regarding the legal action.
Duncan’s family has also launched a fundraiser to support his children, honoring his memory and helping cover related expenses.
