May 23--A Miami jury has awarded almost $7.7 million to a Jamaican seaman who lost an eye and suffered severe head injuries during a lifeboat drill aboard a cruise ship. 

Ralston Moodie, 37 and the father of three, has had 16 surgeries since the May 1, 2000, accident and will never be able to work as a seaman again, said his attorney William Huggett. In a 25-year career representing seamen against shipping and cruise lines, Huggett said, this is his biggest jury award. 

Defense attorney David Horr, who represents Hollywood-based ship owner New Commodore Cruise Lines, said there were errors in pretrial rulings. "We will pursue our appellate remedies to the maximum extent," he said. 

According to Huggett, Moodie was working as a waiter aboard the Enchanted Isle docked in Cozumel, Mexico, but was on deck to help with a lifeboat drill. A missing safety pin left one of the boats dangling above the water and jammed at a 45-degree angle. 

As passengers watched, Huggett said, a supervising boatswain "panicked" and ordered Moodie to right the boat with a manual crank. 

Meanwhile, repairs were being made to an electric box to move the boat electronically. 

The box was fixed, suddenly ending the jam while Moodie continued cranking the steel winch. It started spinning wildly, striking him in the head. 

Besides putting out his eye, the winch caused severe facial and head fractures. The bone that supports the base of the brain was destroyed and Moodie was in a coma for a week. 

The trial, which took a week and a half, concerned only damages; the ship owner had admitted liability, Huggett said. The jury deliberated three hours before reaching a verdict late Tuesday. 

Moodie faces three more surgeries in Miami over the next six months and eventually hopes to go back to Jamaica, where his children and fiancee await his return. 

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(c) 2002, South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.