A Florida attorney was arrested after allegedly attacking a senior on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship.

An unnamed man told police that Phillip Ortiz, 38, tried to enter an area that was not yet open to guests onboard Norwegian Encore on Nov. 22, according to a criminal complaint filed in Miami-Dade County. When the man tried to stop Ortiz, Ortiz allegedly became upset and pushed the unnamed man.

“The victim stated that as he tried to push the defendant away … the defendant's female companion pushed him as well,” the complaint read. When the unnamed man pushed her back, Ortiz allegedly attacked him again.

“The victim further advised that the defendant entered the secured hallway and he attempted to push the door closed so that the defendant could not return,” the complaint continued. “The defendant then forced open the door and charged at the victim. The men then began to fight (again), when the defendant (Ortiz) tripped the victim, who landed on his head along with the defendant's full body weight, causing him (the unnamed man) to lose consciousness.”

Other passengers administered CPR, and an onboard nurse and security personnel came to the scene. The man was revived and transported to a hospital.

Norwegian said the arrest took place while the ship was docked in Miami, and the alleged victim was a 67-year-old guest. "We have zero-tolerance for violence of any kind on our ships and are committed to providing a safe cruising experience for all aboard," the cruise line told USA TODAY in an email.

Ortiz was charged with aggravated battery of a person 65 or older. Stephan Lopez, an attorney for the defendant, disputed the account of events.

"The so called elderly person is much bigger and stronger than my client," Lopez said, adding that the victim was the aggressor.

"My client used a reasonable amount of force to defend himself and his wife and children. The so called victim was so drunk he was unable to prevent the fall like a reasonable sober person would have been able to do," Lopez said.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A Florida attorney and a senior man fought on a cruise. One was arrested.

Reporting by Nathan Diller, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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