Indian American man sues boat captain over parasailing wife’s death
Srinivasrao Alaparthi says his “goal is to ensure that no other family goes through what we are dealing [with] today”
An Indian American man has filed a lawsuit against a boat captain and his resort in Florida for negligence and wrongful death after his wife died while parasailing. Their son and nephew were also injured in the accident.
Srinivasrao Alaparthi filed a 68-page lawsuit in Monroe County circuit court last week against the boat captain, his first mate and the resort, Captain Pip’s Marina & Hideaway, according to a media report.
Alaparthi, his wife Supraja, 33, their son, 10, and nephew, 9, went parasailing on May 30, 2022, while vacationing in the Florida Keys when the weather turned bad, the Washington Post reported.
After a few minutes, the boat’s captain cut the towline connecting the parasail to the boat, while Alaparthi helplessly watched his wife and the two boys plunge into the water.
The wind propelled the parasail, dragging his family through the water for two miles – until they slammed into the concrete pillar of a bridge killing his wife on the spot. The couple’s son and nephew were both injured.
In the lawsuit, Alaparthi alleged that the boat’s crew failed to check the weather forecast which would have shown an incoming storm.
READ: Indian American father dies trying to save son at California beach (June 5, 2023)
But the boat’s crew resorted to cutting the towline before trying to regain control of the rogue parachute and didn’t radio the US Coast Guard for help as the independent chute dragged his wife to her death.
“I can’t help but think that if the people we trusted from the parasailing company and Captain Pip’s Marina had done their jobs, my wife would still be with us today. We trusted these companies, but they let us down in the worst possible way,” he was quoted as saying.
In September last year, the boat’s captain, Daniel Couch, 50, was charged with manslaughter and multiple boating violations. He has pleaded not guilty.
An investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that Couch lost control of the parasail with some 150 feet of the line still extended and “immediately” cut the tow line with a pocket knife.
Alaparthi wants this lawsuit to serve as a warning to those companies, if they don’t do everything, they can to keep their customers safe, they’ll “face serious consequences.”
“Our goal is to ensure that no other family goes through what we are dealing [with] today,” he was quoted as saying.
