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Wrongful Death Suit Filed Against Boston Bar That Ejected BU Grad

BOSTON (CBS) -- The family of a 24-year-old man who wandered into the harbor and drowned after he was kicked out of a Boston bar has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.

Eric Munsell, a 2012 Boston University graduate, was celebrating his birthday in February of last year at Market Lounge on Broad Street when he went missing.

Court documents allege that a bar bouncer threw a "sloppy and intoxicated" Munsell outside without letting him retrieve his coat in the below-freezing temperatures.

Read The Lawsuit (PDF)

"It was foreseeable that ejecting Mr. Munsell from the bar to fend for himself in his intoxicated state and without a coat created a dangerous situation that placed Mr. Munsell at increased risk of injury and death," the lawsuit states.

No one at the bar contacted Munsell's friends, called him a cab or let police know about the incident, according to court filings.

Eric Munsell
Eric Munsell. (Family photo)

The lawsuit details how Munsell was seen by witnesses looking disoriented and falling into snowbanks before accidentally drowning in Boston Harbor.

Market said in a statement to WBZ-TV that it takes its responsibilities "very seriously."

"This was clearly a tragedy and our hearts go out to Mr. Munsell's family," said Mariellen Burns, a spokeswoman for Market.

A hearing was held after the incident to see if Market failed to help an intoxicated person, but the city licensing board found no violation.

The board said Munsell was asked to leave because he offended a group of female patrons. Staff members also said Munsell replied no when asked if he brought a coat.

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