Husband of woman who died in parasailing accident in which she and their son and nephew were ‘dragged for miles’ as wind gusts reached 30 mph describes Captain BEING to save them – as he cut rope loose
- Supraja Alaparthi, 33, who was killed in a parasailing accident in the Florida Keys on Memorial Day last year
- Her husband, Srinivasrao Alaparthi, has spoken out about the devastating moment when his dream family holiday turned into tragedy
- He also claims the boat driver told him ‘don’t worry, the bridge will help’ shortly before the crash killed his wife and injured his child
The husband of a woman who died in a parasailing accident in the Florida Keys on Memorial Day last year has spoken out for the first time.
Srinivasrao Alaparthi, has told of the terrifying day when his wife Supraja Alaparthi, 33, their ten-year-old son and nine-year-old cousin were pulled from their parasail after they got stuck in gusts of wind up to 30 kilometers per hour.
The device crashed to Earth and hit the Old Seven Mile Bridge just west of Marathon, killing Supraja Alaparthi and injuring their two children.
Srinivasrao Alaparthi told Good Morning America from the moment it turned tragic, “The captain was concerned, his actions were terrified, and I was scared too.”
Describing when the captain cut the rope, he said, “I didn’t observe what exactly he was doing when he cut the rope,” he said.
Srinivasrao Alaparthi described the moment when things took a turn towards tragedy
Daniel Gavin Couch, 49, was charged with manslaughter and violations of commercial parasailing laws
“It all came out as fragmented and like those situations were crazy, but whatever he did, it was obviously worrying for all of us.”
Srinivasrao Alaparthi’s lawyer Ricky Patel explained that his client begged the driver to help his wife ‘he held the captain’s leg and begged him to go there and save them.
And he goes ahead and says to them, ‘Don’t worry, the bridge will help.’
In September 2022, the boat’s captain, Daniel Gavin Couch, 49, was charged with manslaughter and violations of commercial parasailing laws. He pleaded not guilty.
Daniel Couch had a total disregard for caring for his passengers, who trusted him with their lives by letting them fly [even] after acknowledging that the weather was rapidly deteriorating,” the state’s arrest warrant read.
When Daniel Crouch realized he was no longer in control of the parasail, he made a rude and egregious decision to cut the tow line, the only way to safely return the passengers to the ship, without regard to any other available actions.
The captain made the disastrous decision to cut the rope holding the parasail to the boat, causing the device to crash back to Earth
The parasail hit the Old Seven Mile Bridge just west of Marathon, killing Supraja Alaparthi
Happier times: The couple pictured here before disaster struck during the family vacation
Supraja Alaparthi was pronounced dead at the scene, her son and nephew were taken to hospital for their injuries
Alaparthi is now suing the boat captain, his colleague, the boat company and the marina over the death of his wife
“This indifference to the consequences of his decisions and actions resulted in the deaths and serious injuries of these parasailers.”
The warrant claims that Couch did not maneuver his ship under the bridge to provide assistance “although the relatives on the parasailing vessel later reported begging him to assist.”
Srinivasrao Alaparthi has now filed a lawsuit against Couch, his colleague, the boat company and the marina.
He claims they failed to check weather reports that should have prevented them from sailing, failed to provide enough safety equipment, including life jackets, and failed to properly lower the parasail after losing control.
Attorney Pedro Echarte added: “There were so many possibilities to prevent this, but instead there was failure after failure after failure.”
He advised families planning their summer vacation this year to take extra precautions and ask questions of adventure activity retailers rather than relying on signage.