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Husband of woman
lost at sea sues Maui
kayak company

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By Debra Barayuga
Star-Bulletin

The husband of a California visitor who was attacked by a shark and lost at sea during a belated honeymoon has filed suit against a Maui company that rented them kayaks two years ago.

Extreme Sports Maui was named as a defendant in the suit filed yesterday in U.S. District Court by Manouchehr Monazzami-Taghadomi, a computer consultant in Sunnyvale, Calif.

The suit said Extreme Sports Maui was negligent and reckless in failing to warn them about a small-craft advisory the day they rented the kayak, supply the kayaks with emergency equipment, inform them of possible shark attacks or make any effort to find out what had happened to them when they failed to return the kayak.

The couple had rented a kayak on the second-to-last day of their visit on March 18, 1999, and were kayaking off Lahaina when they were swept out to sea by strong winds and currents. Both were washed overboard many times and ended up staying in the water holding on to the kayak. Nahid Davoodabadi, 29, was attacked after nightfall by a shark which severed her left arm, the suit said.

Despite her husband's attempts to stop the bleeding, she died and was later lost when waves continued to wash over their kayak.

Monazzami and the kayak later washed up on Kahoolawe where he was stranded until his rescue three days later. He had suffered from cuts, bruises, dehydration and hypothermia.

His wife's body was never found, and she remains classified a "missing person" by police.

Maui criminal investigators ruled out any possibility of foul play.

The suit seeks punitive and other damages in excess of $3 million.

Rick Alford, owner of Extreme Sports Maui, declined comment on the suit, which he has not seen.