Florida boat captain cuts parasailing line killing woman.

[beanerhawk]

How in the world does this sound like it was a good idea at the time?

MARATHON, Fla. (AP) — A boat captain has been charged with manslaughter in a Memorial Day parasailing crash in the Florida Keys that killed a 33-year-old Illinois woman and injured her young son and nephew.

Jail records in Monroe County show 49-year-old Daniel Gavin Couch was booked on Thursday and is being held on a $100,000 bond.

A Florida Fish and Wildlife investigation found Couch cut the line holding Supraja Alaparthi and the boys because the parasail was “dragging” in high winds from a summer storm.

They were dragged across the waves for nearly 2 miles before slamming into a bridge. A nearby boat captain took them to shore.

https://www.kbjr6.com/2022/09/23/florida-boat-captain-charged-fatal-parasailing-accident/

 

[HawkMachine]

 

[B1GDeal]

Wait, did he cut the line because they were being dragged or what?

 

[Flie]

I read about that back when it happened. Terrible situation. The mom was parasailing with two kids. The captain cut the line and the mom and kids were dragged across the water for several miles until they collided with a bridge. The mom died and the kids were injured. The captain cut the line due to high wind and the boat was being dragged. Cutting the line like that is not something the boat captains should ever do in that situation. If you cut the line you lose all control of the parasailers. I guess he thought they would just float down to the water where they could collect them.

 

[B1GDeal]

Got it.... he cut the line and the wind blew them for 2 miles hitting things and resulting in her death.

 

[Hammer93]

Well, I'm headed to Key West in November for 8 days for the world championship speed boat races. I will now not consider any parasailing trips. It seems like a bad idea. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[seminoledq]

We were in Marathon that weekend. Complete chaos to end the holiday weekend. Not sure what the captain was supposed to do in that situation, other than not taking them parasailing in the first place is a storm was a brewing.

 

[Tenacious E]

We were in Marathon that weekend. Complete chaos to end the holiday weekend. Not sure what the captain was supposed to do in that situation, other than not taking them parasailing in the first place is a storm was a brewing.

Why couldn't he just crank the line back in?

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Why couldn't he just crank the line back in?

Wind was probably too powerful. Think of the scene in Jaws when the shark is pulling the boat backward and water is flooding over the transom. Depending on the boat, you could sink pretty quick if enough water comes over.

 

[alaskanseminole]

Why couldn't he just crank the line back in?

That was my thought.

 

[tarheelbybirth]

Why couldn't he just crank the line back in?

The only thing I can figure is he thought he was gonna lose the boat so he cut a mom and her two kids loose to save it. As was posted above, I suppose he thought they would just drop into the water??

 

[Tenacious E]

Wind was probably too powerful. Think of the scene in Jaws when the shark is pulling the boat backward and water is flooding over the transom. Depending on the boat, you could sink pretty quick if enough water comes over.

Well they should probably then rethink how and where the crank is attached to the boat. does not seem that hard for it to be on a swivel in the middle of the boat, so the boat would just be pulled along like it would be by a tug boat.

 

[DooBi]

How were they "dragged" after the line was cut?

 

[Tenacious E]

How were they "dragged" after the line was cut?

wind

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Well they should probably then rethink how and where the crank is attached to the boat. does not seem that hard for it to be on a swivel in the middle of the boat, so the boat would just be pulled along like it would be by a tug boat.

Maybe. Not sure that would work practically though.
Ever try to hold up a piece of plywood or cardboard in 50-60mph winds? Probably would just drag the boat on its side or bury the bow.

 

[alaskanseminole]

How were they "dragged" after the line was cut?

wind

 

[Douglas C. Neidermeyer]

Wow. What a drag …

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

How were they "dragged" after the line was cut?

True, at that point more accurate to say they they were engaged in the sport known as accidental skydiving.

 

[kc78]

How were they "dragged" after the line was cut?

There was a bad storm. The wind grabbed the parachute and dragged them across the water and into a bridge.

The boat captain cut it because the wind had grabbed the parachute and he likely felt the entire boat was going to go down. My guess is he thought they'd come down and he'd just go pick them up; but that seems to be a really bad idea. Not the first time someone has been seriously hurt on one of these when a storm appeared. Some girls were killed in Panama City a few years back when the wind grabbed them and slammed them into a hotel near the shore.

 

[Douglas C. Neidermeyer]

Wow. What a drag …

(This happened immediately after my post)

 

[onlyTheObvious]

You would think he could have turned the boat around, creating slack, and then power up the wench.

anything sounds better than just cutting them loose.

 

[torbee]

You would think he could have turned the boat around, creating slack, and then power up the wench.

anything sounds better than just cutting them loose.

"powering up the wench" is what I do with OP's mom.

 

[goldmom]

Captain shouldn’t have taken that boat out and let anyone parasail.
A responsible experienced person would have “left the dinghy at the dock” by just looking at a weather report.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

"powering up the wench" is what I do with OP's mom.

When you’re not playing with your dinghy?