Michael Simpson, 51, has denied an attempted murder charge after being accused of deliberately cutting off an 18-year-old diver’s oxygen supply during a dispute over a lobster-diving location off Miami. The allegation is serious because the diver, Hunter Cofer, was reportedly tens of feet underwater when the incident occurred, potentially putting his life at immediate risk.

Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office investigators say the confrontation began as a verbal disagreement between people on two lobster-diving boats on 29 July. Simpson was arrested this week, pleaded not guilty, and was released on a $10,000 bond on Wednesday evening; he has since publicly challenged the accusation.