More than a year after his wife was killed and his son and nephew badly injured in a Florida parasailing accident, Srinivasrao Alaparthi is speaking out, hoping to prevent tragedy from striking another family.
On May 30, 2022, 33-year-old Supraja Alaparthi, her 10-year-old son Sriakshith Alaparthi, and her 7-year-old nephew Vishant Sadat, strapped in for a parasailing adventure in the Florida Keys. But once they got into the air, the weather deteriorated and the wind “pegged” the parasail, taking control of the ride away from the boat, as CrimeOnline previously reported.
The boat’s captain, Daniel Couch, cut the tow line, and for miles, the wind dragged the parasail, with Alaparthi and the children still strapped in, along the surface of the water until it slammed into the Old Seven Mile Bridge.
“Sri is holding the captain’s leg, begging him to please go out there and save them. And he goes ahead and tells ’em, ‘Don’t worry, the bridge will help,” Ricky Patel, an attorney representing Alaparthi and his family, told ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Alaparthi told “Good Morning America” he was scared, and the captain seemed panicked as well. “Whatever he was doing, it was concerning for all of us. I didn’t exactly see when he cut the rope,” he said. “[It was a] terrifying and horrible moment.”
Couch has been charged with one count of manslaughter and five violations of the commercial parasailing statute and has pleaded not guilty. Alaparthi has also filed a lawsuit against Couch, his colleague, the boat company, and the marina, claiming that they lacked property safety procedures, including not checking weather reports, lacking enough equipment, including life jackets, and not bringing the parasail down properly after Couch lost control.
“There were so many opportunities for them to stop this from happening but yet, there’s failure, after failure, after failure,” said Pedro Echarte, another attorney for the family.
Alaparthi said he hopes his lawsuit forces changes in the parasailing industry.
“Having fun is not worth the cost of life. There should be enough safety measures,” he said. “Otherwise, they will end up in a miserable situation.”
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[Featured image: Supraja Alaparthi, her son and nephew prepare to lift off on fatal parasailing expedition/The Haggard Law Firm via WPLG]
