Latest news with #Lemons'
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Unpacking the Shocking True Story Behind ‘Last Breath'
If you're a fan of heart-thumping action thrillers, you may have already seen trailers for the latest blockbuster film Last Breath. The movie, which premieres in theaters on Mar. 14, details the shocking story of a gang of North Sea divers, who race against the clock to save one of their brothers in arms from a deadly underwater diving accident. Since some elements of the film appear to be larger than life, many have begun to wonder if the narrative of Last Breath is based on a true story. Though it may seem shocking, the movie is in fact a retelling of true events, as depicted in a 2019 documentary of the same name. Since the film has already been getting rave reviews from critics, now seems like the perfect time to unpack the true background of Last Breath, and see what we can learn about the real life heroes behind the tale. Please be advised that there will be major spoilers for the brand new film ahead. Still, these details shouldn't ruin your enjoyment of the gripping tale, since the movie is an adaptation of true events. Either way, let's dive right in and see what we can bring to the surface. Last Breath stars Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu and Finn Cole as professional divers who work within the treacherous North Sea, off the coast of Scotland. During a routine underwater repair in 2012, the gang depicted in the film are shocked to find their ship's dynamic positioning system mysteriously fail during a storm. With nothing to hold their vessel in place along the choppy waves, the tether attaching diver Chris Lemons (Cole) to the ship snaps, leaving him stranded in the pitch-black depths with no heat, power, lights or comms. To make matters worse, Lemons' suit is equipped with only five minutes of backup oxygen. With the knowledge that it would take a minimum of 30-40 minutes just to locate their submerged diver, the rest of the gang suit up and prepare for a rescue mission – though most of them acknowledge that it will likely be a recovery mission to retrieve Lemons' remains. As the plot of Last Breath plays out, the team fight against brutal weather conditions, dangerous tech malfunctions and their own uncertainties, before miraculously pulling Lemons to the surface alive and well. The whole thing seems almost too farfetched to be true, though all of the original divers are alive to tell the tale today. Though the film obviously takes a few creative liberties in the name of concise storytelling, Last Breath actually does portray an accurate representation of what the crew experienced over 13 years ago. If you're a fan of documentary films, you may already know that Last Breath's narrative was the subject of an informative nonfiction movie back in 2019. The film, which also delivered dramatic reenactments for the screen, used real-life footage captured by body cams and other tech from Lemons' ship, in order to give audiences a true and accurate viewing experience. It's essentially impossible to explain how exactly the diver lived through the ordeal, considering his oxygen levels stretched nearly 10 times longer than they should have, and he was in freezing cold water while awaiting rescue. You might say that his survival was one of pure luck, an act of God or just a byproduct of Lemons' extensive underwater training, and slow acclimation to frigid depths from his years inside pressurized diving vessels. During an interview with Time, Last Breath director Alex Parkinson remarked, 'You could say that Chris was the unluckiest person in the world for the accident to happen in the first place. But conversely to that, he was the luckiest person in the world that all the right people were in the right place to do the right thing at the right time in the exact right sequence to get him rescued and resuscitated. If any one of those things had been different, he would not have survived. That's mind blowing.' Parkinson doesn't have any professional diving experience himself, though he explained how he was drawn to Lemons' tale after watching the documentary because of how gripping and universal the feeling of overwhelming claustrophobia was within the narrative. 'I really love stories where the truth is stranger than fiction because it gives you amazing insight into the human psyche,' he stated in the above interview. 'Chris should have died that night. But his story is a great example of how the human spirit can overcome anything.' Though the 2012 incident which inspired Last Breath was traumatic for all parties, each of the key players involved in the thrilling movie continued diving long after the near-death experience took place. In fact, the real life Chris Lemons, David Yuasa and Duncan Allcock each met with their on-screen counterparts during the production of the movie, providing some personal insight into their unique experiences. The gang even reunited for the February premiere of Last Breath, where they were photographed arm-in-arm with the Hollywood stars. Apparently the divers have remained close friends since the incident, and have kept in contact both on and off the job site. Allcock finally took his retirement from diving just last year, putting a cap on a long and storied life at sea. Lemons, by the same token, still works in the deep-sea recovery and repairs industry, albeit from a safer location outside of the water. Today, Lemons stays dry, though he continued to dive for over a decade following the terrifying events shown in Last Breath. Yuasa is the only remaining member of the crew who still routinely goes on underwater missions, now operating under a different company than the one depicted in the 2019 documentary. While it's a miracle that these men lived to tell their tale, their plight makes for a truly stunning cinematic experience. Those interested in finding themselves breathless should be sure to catch Last Breath in theaters on Mar. post Unpacking the Shocking True Story Behind 'Last Breath' appeared first on Blavity.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chiefs parade shooting victim files lawsuit against KC Sports Commission
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – One of the victims from last February's Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory rally shooting is now suing the Kansas City Sports Commission. The lawsuit, which was filed in Jackson County Circuit Court on Wednesday afternoon, accuses the Kansas City Sports Commission of failing to provide a safe environment for the rally and parade. just three days after the Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of James Lemons, a 40-year-old man from Harrisonville, Missouri, says Lemons was shot in the leg as he and his family tried to escape the gunfire. Kansas City police found that two teenagers pulled their guns and opened fire inside a large crowd. Two men charged in connection to deaths of 3 Chiefs fans in Northland backyard The lawsuit contains this passage: 'The defendant owed the Plaintiff a legal duty to use ordinary care to make the property upon which the Victory Rally was held reasonably safe.' Kansas City radio personality when the gunfire rang out that day. The lawsuit compares the size of the crowd near the incident to the 2023 NFL Draft, when 300,000 people crowded around Union Station. Lemons' suit said fans in attendance were screened when they entered the area, and required to carry their belongings inside clear bags, unlike the Super Bowl rally. The lawsuit also accuses the sports commission of failing to provide a safe environment, adequate security, emergency medical personnel or security screenings. Jackson County court documents also mention the violent year Kansas City saw in 2023, and the 182 murders that happened in Kansas City, Missouri that year, with 170 of those incidents involved guns, according to KCPD data. See the latest headlines in Kansas City and across Kansas, Missouri On Tuesday afternoon, the Kansas City Sports Commission sent this statement to FOX4: 'We are aware of the recent lawsuit filed against the Sports Commission and disagree with its assertions. Our insurance company is handling everything in relationship to this matter. We will not have further comments as it relates to claims or lawsuits moving forward. For questions relating to security plans for the celebration, we recommend contacting the Kansas City Missouri Police Department.' FOX4 reached out to the police department's media unit late Wednesday afternoon, but there was no response as of 4 p.m. Scott Shachtman, Lemons' attorney, told FOX4 to his knowledge, his client is the only person who's filed a lawsuit related to the Super Bowl rally against the sports commission. Lemons said he won't rule out other plaintiffs stepping forward. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
South China Morning Post
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Simu Liu on Last Breath, new drama about saturation divers, and being an Asian role model
It has been a heady couple of years for actor Simu Liu. Advertisement After years of playing bit parts in films and recurring roles on television, the Canadian played the title character in Marvel blockbuster Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings . Next, he was an antagonistic Ken to Ryan Gosling's 'Beach Ken' in the US$1 billion hit musical Barbie Liu's latest part is in the survival drama Last Breath, which is based on a real-life accident in 2012 in which diver Chris Lemons (played by Finn Cole) became trapped 100 metres below the surface of the North Sea. When Lemons' connection to a surface support vessel was cut, he was left alone with a 10-minute supply of oxygen. The movie, adapted by filmmaker Alex Parkinson from his 2019 documentary of the same name, recounts the daring effort to rescue him, with Woody Harrelson and Liu playing Lemons' partners, Duncan Allcock and David Yuasa. Advertisement To portray Yuasa, Liu had to take an intensive course in saturation diving. Workers repairing pipelines and cables on the ocean floor stay for weeks at a time in pressurised diving bells, breathing in a helium-heavy atmosphere.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Waupun Correctional Institution: Timeline of prisoner deaths, investigations, criminal cases, lawsuits, resignations at troubled prison
The Waupun Correctional Institution will forever be changed if Gov. Tony Evers and Republican legislators can reach an agreement. The governor is proposing prison reform in his next two-year state budget, including closing the aging state prison in Green Bay and overhauling the also old Waupun prison, but only if a troubled youth prison in Irma is closed. The Waupun prison, opened in 1854, and has long been a place affiliated with difficult living conditions for prisoners, despite renovations in recent years. It is something even celebrated Milwaukee alderwoman Vel Phillips said was happening during her visit to the prison in 1971. Within the last two years, overcrowding and understaffing have accompanied prisoner deaths, staff assaults, drug and contraband smuggling, and extended periods of restricted movement at the facility. On March 30, 2023, Waupun Mayor Rohn W. Bishop told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the prison was under lockdown. Since then, prisoners, their families, advocates and public officials were forced to reckon with six prisoners dying, a series of investigations being launched at the local, state and federal levels, and criminal and civil litigation. Here's a timeline of key events: The Wisconsin Department of Corrections transitions Waupun Correctional Institution to what it calls 'modified movement.' The phase restricts movement throughout the prison, resulting in prisoners locked in their cells, typically all day, and not permitted visitors. The prisoners are also banned from gathering in communal spaces, like recreation time, educational opportunities, and religious services. The department says some of the prison's population were 'breaking rules that are in place to assure everyone's safety.' Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle cite ongoing staffing shortages at Waupun Correctional and across the prison system as the reason for many problems inside the facilities that can result in a lockdown. Waupun is particularly understaffed. Prisoners began to tell reporters of the conditions inside the prison, from plumbing problems to a lack of air conditioning and poor food options. Prisoners say they are only allowed one shower a week and are sharing cells. Others report they can not visit the law library, which is closed for a short period of time. Dean Hoffmann, 60, dies by suicide in solitary confinement. Hoffmann has a long-documented history of bipolar disorder and suicidal thoughts. It is later learned through records that in the two and a half months leading to his suicide prison staff failed to provide his bipolar and antidepressant medications as prescribed more than three-quarters of the time. Tyshun Lemons, 30, dies of an accidental overdose of acetyl fentanyl and fentanyl while in general population. Lemons' family members say they have concerns about the medical examiner's ruling and how the drugs found their way into the maximum-security prison. Lemons' brother, Levi Lord, says his brother also had mental health conditions. Lonnie Story, a Florida-based attorney licensed in Wisconsin, files a class action lawsuit on behalf of nearly a dozen prisoners at Waupun Correctional. The suit alleges prison officials have not adequately provided proper health care to prisoners amid the ongoing lockdown, including a waiting list for dental services stretching out 18 months. Story also ends up representing three families of prisoners who died in custody. Most plaintiffs have since been removed from the suit as a federal judge ruled most prisoners didn't exhaust all internal complaint administrative processes before the case was filed. Cameron Williams, 24, dies of a rare stroke in solitary confinement. Prisoners who were in the same unit at Williams tell the Journal Sentinel that in the days leading up to his death he begged for help from staff and was ignored as his health quickly deteriorated. Court records later reveal that medical passes and hourly rounds were skipped or barely meeting procedural requirements, no reports were ever written up, and no medical assistance was provided. Evers tells reporters he hasn't recently visited the state prisons that have been the site of at least three deaths in four months. He says he is in "constant contact" with prison staff and Department of Corrections Secretary Kevin Carr visits Waupun Correctional daily. Evers and Carr announce plans to loosen the restrictions at Waupun Correctional, as well as Green Bay Correctional Institution. The plans include opening access to more services in the prisons, reducing the prisoner population at Waupun Correctional, updating solitary confinement policies, and continuing to recruit more staff with the enticement of higher pay. Soon, prisoners are allowed to attend recreation, classes and religious services again, but many advocates say too many restrictions on movement remain. The family of Dean Hoffmann files a lawsuit against the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, alleging Hoffmann's civil rights were violated in the months leading up to his death. Hoffmann's daughter, Megan Kolb, says it is "time to hold somebody accountable." Donald Maier, 62, died of probable dehydration and malnutrition in solitary confinement. The death comes after prison staff began intermittently shutting off the water to prevent him from flooding his cell, court records show. The manner of his death is later ruled a homicide. In the approximately nine days from the time Maier was moved to the restrictive housing unit cell to his death, he never left the cell, and no one ever entered the cell, according to authorities. Wisconsin Department of Corrections Secretary Kevin Carr announces he is leaving his position as the agency's leader. 'The past five years have been quite memorable, and I could not be prouder to have worked with some of the finest public servants in the country who are doing amazing work every day under very difficult conditions,' Carr says in a statement. Carr was among the first secretaries Evers named to his cabinet. After a DOC sweep of housing units at Waupun Correctional turned up contraband, state officials notify federal authorities. As a result, the U.S. Department of Justice launches an investigation into an alleged conspiracy within Waupun Correctional to bring in cell phones, illegal drugs and other contraband. Britt Cudaback, a spokeswoman for Evers, tells reporters in early March an initial DOC probe "revealed allegations of potential employee involvement in those illegal activities, including information suggesting financial crimes may have occurred." The DOC tells the Journal Sentinel five employees have resigned or were fired since the U.S. Department of Justice began its investigation into the smuggling allegations. Another six employees remain on administrative leave. The mother of Cameron Williams files a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. Raven Anderson believes her son suffered cruel and unusual punishment as his physical and mental health quickly deteriorated. 'He did have a mental illness and I don't think that they took the time to recognize that,' Anderson tells the Journal Sentinel. A fifth prisoner dies in less than a year at the prison. According to Department of Corrections records, Jay J. Adkins, 66, died on May 23 and Schmidt said an investigation is underway. The deputy secretary of the Department of Corrections, Jared Hoy, is promoted to head of the department by Evers. 'There is no more noble calling than maintaining community safety by caring for justice-involved individuals. It is why I have devoted my entire career to public service as a corrections practitioner," Hoy says in a statement. Waupun Warden Randall Hepp announces his resignation in an email to prison staff. Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt announces criminal charges against nine prison employees, including Hepp, in two of the in-custody deaths — Williams and Maier. No criminal charges are issued for the other two deaths — Hoffmann and Lemons. "'Persons in our care' is not a phrase I would use in Waupun Correctional Institution," Schmidt said, referring to the DOC's language for prisoners. "These people were not cared for," he said. "They're people, and they were not cared for." The Sheriff's Office later confirms the death investigations remain open. Three employees are charged in connection with Williams' death. Gwendolyn Peachey Vick, 50, a registered nurse, and Tanner Leopold, 27, a correctional sergeant, each face one count of abuse of residents of penal facilities. Brandon James Fisher, 29, a correctional lieutenant, faces two counts of abuse of residents of penal facilities in Williams' death. Fisher also is charged in connection to Maier's death with two counts of abuse of residents of penal facilities. Hepp, the former warden, is charged with one count of felony misconduct in public office in that case. The other employees charged with misconduct or abuse of a resident in a penal facility in connection with Maier's death are correctional officers Jamall Rabb Russell, 39, and Sarah Anne Margaret Ransbottom, 35; correctional sergeants Jeramie Heyward Chalker, 41, and Alexander John Hollfelder, 31; and registered nurse, Jessica Ann Hosfelt, 47. All defendants, except Ransbottom, have since pleaded not guilty and the criminal cases remain ongoing. Republican state lawmakers signal interest in requiring more oversight of the state's prisons and call for closing the facilities in Waupun and Green Bay, something advocates have long pushed for. The Joint Finance Committee co-chairs, Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, and Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, blame Evers, a Democrat, and Carr for the state of prisons. Evers' administration has said in the past that the governor inherited many problems in the prison system from the prior Republican administration. Democratic lawmakers from Milwaukee, Rep. Darrin Madison and Rep. Ryan Clancy, also call for action on the prison system and closing the two troubled facilities. The sister of Tyshun Lemons, who died of an accidental overdose, files a lawsuit against the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, alleging that Lemons' constitutional rights were violated. The lawsuit claims that DOC officials "willfully and deliberately ignored their duties," and that their "deliberate indifference to the conditions" at Waupun Correctional resulted in Lemons being able to obtain the drugs and overdose on them. Wisconsin lawmakers listened to at times heartbreaking testimony about the state's embattled prison system, both from former guards and family members of those incarcerated. In a public hearing that stretched over five hours long, members of the Assembly Committee on Corrections listened to speakers who had been invited by lawmakers. Megan Kolb, the daughter of Dean Hoffmann, who died at Waupun Correctional Institution last year, spoke about her father's struggles while incarcerated. "He was placed in solitary due to his mental illness," Kolb said. "My father declined rapidly during those 80 days at Waupun." There was one point where Hoffmann went eight days without his medications, and he even told officers he was suicidal and hearing voices, she said. Only days later, he died by suicide. Kolb said his death could have been prevented. "In one of the last letters my dad wrote while at Waupun, he stated 'I may deserve to be punished, but I don't deserve this. It is bad in here. It is really bad,'" she said. "My father's death could have been prevented." The Department of Corrections signaled an end to the lockdown at Waupun Correctional and also returned to in-person visitation. Modified movement, also known as lockdowns, were introduced due to security concerns at the understaffed prisons, according to corrections officials. Carr previously disputed the use of the word "lockdown" to describe what prisoners reported as severe limitations on recreation time, visitation, showers, programming and other services. A sixth prisoner in a little over a year dies at the prison. Christopher L. McDonald, 57, died from "likely a self-inflicted incident," according to Sheriff Schmidt. Former facilities repair worker at the prison pleads guilty in federal court to smuggling contraband into the prison. William Lee Homan, 47, of Fox Lake smuggled cell phones, tobacco products and controlled substances into the facility in exchange for money. Between 2022 and 2023, the former employee had received payments from prisoners, former prisoners and "associates" of prisoners totaling more than $53,000. A former Waupun Correctional Institution guard entered a no-contest plea to a criminal charge and was ordered to pay a fine — making her the first of nine staff facing charges for deaths at the prison to be convicted and sentenced. As part of a plea deal, Sarah Ann Margaret Ransbottom, 36, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of violating the law of a state or county institution, rather than the felony charge she originally faced, misconduct in public office. The charge is in connection to prisoner Maier's death. Ransbottom's attorney, Greg Petit, said there was "some horrible work and terrible injustice that was done in the prison," but that Ransbottom was not a part of it. Eleven prison employees have now resigned or been fired since the U.S. Department of Justice launched a probe into a suspected drug, phone and contraband smuggling ring within the prison. Of the 11 staffers, nine had their employment terminated and two resigned while under investigation, according to the DOC. The DOC says an external review of the department is underway. The Chicago-based Falcon Correctional and Community Services began conducting visits to prisons, according to the DOC. Secretary Hoy and top DOC staff began discussions with Falcon in mid-June, during which he and his staff expressed "an interest in a broad organizational assessment" of all adult prisons, including solitary confinement practices and healthcare, according to the firm's proposal. The firm also proposed it would assess DOC culture, staff wellness, and leadership and professional growth during the first stage of the review process. The Journal Sentinel reports that Gov. Evers will propose in his next two-year state budget a half of a billion dollar plan to close a state prison and overhaul several others. Instead of closing Waupun, Evers seeks a transformation of the facility into a "vocational village" with a focus on expanding job training. The governor cited local support for keeping Waupun open as part of his plan. Kelli Arseneau, Vanessa Swales and Laura Schulte contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Timeline of events at troubled Waupun Correctional Institution
