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MARATHON WEEKLY / JULY 7, 2022
NUMBER OF THE WEEK
1 9709 Overseas Hwy. Marathon, FL 33050 Office: 305.743.0844 www.keysweekly.com
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ON THE COVER
Beginning July 1, single-use diapers, reusable diapers and reusable diaper inserts for children are tax-exempt for one year. Baby and toddler clothes, primarily for those 5 and under, are also tax-free.The law making these items taxfree was passed by the Florida Legislature and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
From left, the Tin Man (Aiden Judd), the Cowardly Lion (Brinton Johnson), Dorothy (Haley Price) and the Scarecrow (Rylee Seligson) are ‘off to see the wizard’ in MCT’s children’s theater show, running this weekend only. See page 36. ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly
ALEX RICKERT alex@keysweekly.com
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Alex Rickert alex@keysweekly.com
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THE MARATHON WEEKLY (ISSN 1944-0812) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY FOR $125 PER YEAR BY WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS, INC., 9709 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY, MARATHON FL 33050. APPLICATION TO MAIL AT PERIODICALS POSTAGE RATES IS PENDING AT FORT LAUDERDALE FL AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. All stories, photos, and graphics are copyrighted materials.
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LIGHTHOUSE PARASAIL TARGET OF CLAIMS FOR WRONGFUL DEATH AND PERSONAL INJURY
LAWSUIT FILED FOLLOWING FATAL PARASAILING ACCIDENT
A
Memorial Day parasailing tragedy that left one woman dead and her son and nephew injured may now head to court, according to a lawsuit filed on the woman’s family’s behalf by Coral Springs’ Haggard Law Firm. On May 30, 33-year-old Supraja Alaparthi was taking a parasail flight with Lighthouse Parasailing out of Marathon along with her 10-year-old son Sriakshith Alaparthi and 9-year-old nephew Vishant Sadda. According to an FWC 24-hour report released a day after the incident, a strong gust of wind “pegged” the parasail, a term used to describe when a parasail becomes controlled by the weather conditions instead of the towing vessel and begins to impede the safe operation of the towing vessel by becoming a sail. With the parasail pegged, the boat’s captain, Daniel Couch, intentionally cut the line tethering the three victims, who dropped to the water and were dragged by the freed parasail across the surface until it collided with the old Seven Mile Bridge, throwing the three into a piling. Nearby Marathon Capt. John Callion acted as a good Samaritan, approaching the parasail and cutting the three victims free from their harnesses to take them to shore after he saw the collision. Supraja was pronounced dead at the scene when she reached land, according to FWC’s report. Sriakshith suffered minor physical injuries, while Sadda was airlifted to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami. According to Haggard Law Firm’s press conference announcing the suit on June 28, Sadda faces additional consultations and surgeries with plastic surgeons to repair damage to his face. A copy of the lawsuit provided to Keys Weekly by Michael Haggard and Pedro Echarte III details the wrongful death claim and two personal injury claims brought against Lighthouse Parasail, a North Carolinabased company that had opened a second location operating out of Marathon’s Captain Pip’s Marina. According to the suit, a total of 12 family members boarded the M/V Airborne – loading the boat
A photo provided to the Haggard Law Firm by the family of Supraja Alaparthi shows the weather conditions moments after her parasail flight began with her son and nephew. HAGGARD LAW FIRM/Contributed
to capacity – on the day in question and completed one successful flight before the fatal flight occurred. Though some early accounts gave the impression that strong wind gusts occurred suddenly, Haggard Law Firm’s press conference included photos taken by the family that the firm claims as evidence of obvious inclement weather. “We have talked to five other vessels throughout Marathon that came in early that day because of the horrific winds and weather that was coming in through the Middle Keys that day,” said Haggard. “In fact, the family had several conversations with both the captain and the first mate: ‘We can come back tomorrow.’ … The captain said, ‘No, we will be fine.’” Among more than a dozen allegations, the suit claims that Lighthouse Parasail failed to adequately monitor the weather before and during the flight, failed to give its passengers and parasailers appropriate safety instructions and in-case-of-emergency briefings, did not have proper equipment aboard the boat to monitor the weather, chose to conduct a parasail flight in unsafe weather, and failed to execute alternate emergency procedures rather than cutting the tow line to detach the parasail. continued on page 10
