Man choked on live fish at haunted house

A lawsuit filed against the operators of a Tennessee haunted house alleges a man was hospitalized for four days when he choked on a live fish. Cameron Roth's Davidson County Circuit Court lawsuit against the operators of Frightmare Manor in Talbot alleges he paid $15 to compete in a contest at the attraction in October 2013 that involved eating two live bluegill fish, the Courthouse News Service reported Tuesday. "Frightmare failed to remove any of the spines from the bluegill fish," the lawsuit states. "In his attempt to eat the two fish within the time constraint, Mr. Roth began choking as the first fish became lodged in his throat." The lawsuit alleges the contest organizers did not have any medical workers on hand to supervise the contest and workers did not seek emergency medical help when Roth began choking. Customers at the haunted house called 911 and Roth was hospitalized for four days, "including two nights in the intensive care unit," the lawsuit states. "The defendants willfully and recklessly failed to take necessary safety measures before Mr. Roth and other participants entered into the challenge," Roth's attorneys wrote in the suit. The lawsuit accuses defendants Tennessee Community Enrichment, American Strategic Holdings LLC and "Frightmare" overseer Charles Christopher Wooden of negligence, liability, emotional distress and fraud. The suit seeks $150,000 in compensatory damages and $400,000 in punitive damages.