MARATHON, Fla. ā A boat captain has been arrested, several months after a woman was killed and her son and nephew were injured in a parasailing accident in the Florida Keys, Local 10 News learned on Thursday.
Local 10 News obtained the arrest warrant for Daniel Gavin Couch, 49, which shows he is charged with one count of manslaughter and five counts of violating commercial parasailing statutes.
Newly obtained video shows the moment the family went up in the parasail.
According to a report by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, āThe captain cut the line tethered to the three victimsā on May 30 off the coast of Marathon because the parasail was āpegging.ā
That is a phrase used to describe when a parasail turns into a sail in high winds and could potentially drag the boat.
The woman and two children were dropped and ādragged through the water by the inflated parasail...through and across the surface of the waterā before colliding with the Old Seven Mile Bridge, the report states.
According to the report, onboard the 31-foot boat were nine people from Schaumburg, Illinois.
Authorities identified the woman who died as Supraja Alaparthi, 33. Her 10-year-old son, Sriakshith Alaparthi, was also parasailing with her. The 7-year-old boy who was airlifted to Nicklaus Childrenās Hospital is Alaparthiās nephew, identified as Vishant Sadat.
FWC officers said Supraja Alaparthi was declared dead by the time a Good Samaritan boat captain arrived to help.
Couch worked for Lighthouse Parasail Inc., which is based in Marathon and had departed from Captain Pipās Marina & Hideaway that day.
According to the warrant, Couch violated several commercial parasailing statutes.
The weather, specifically the wind speed, was a ākey contributing factorā in the accident, the warrant stated. Authorities said Couch did not pay attention to a weather alert that day and had said his VHF radio was not turned on at the time.
Authorities said he claimed he did try calling 911 but his phone wasnāt working.
The victimās family has filed a lawsuit against the parasail operator.
āThere is no excuse for the negligence and disregard for public safety that was shown in this case,ā FWC Regional Commander Major Alberto Maza said in a statement released by the agency. āMy prayers go out to the families of those involved in this terrible accident. Our investigators conducted a thorough investigation, and the charges today hold those responsible for this tragedy accountable.ā
Read the arrest warrant