BATON ROUGE - A federal judge has issued a default judgment against the now-closed Tiki Tubing, ordering the company to pay the family of a drowning victim nearly $5 million.

The case was filed by relatives of Keith Hilliard, who died in June 2021 during a float trip on the Amite River.

U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson finalized the order on Friday.

It awards damages totaling $4,933,122 to Hilliard's widow, Lisa, and other family members, including Ma'khail Hilliard, a former pitching star for the LSU Tigers baseball team.

Lisa Hilliard told WBRZ News in 2021 that she struggled for months following her husband's passing.

"I can see him drowning," she said at that time. "It's so vivid in my mind."

The 53-year-old father of three was carried to shore by family members, but died despite CPR and other lifesaving efforts by first responders.

He was one of two Tiki Tubing customers who lost their lives that summer.

The company eventually closed -- rocked, as well, by a sexual assault case against its owner. An unrelated company purchased its assets and now operates a similar business on the Amite River.

Records show that Tiki Tubing failed to defend itself in the federal lawsuit.