MONROE COUNTY, Fla. – A parasailing tragedy has claimed the life of an Illinois woman and injured two children in the Florida Keys on Monday, authorities said.
The three family members were parasailing shortly before 5:30 p.m. when a strong gust of wind picked up and “pegged” the parasail. This means the parasail chute becomes controlled by the wind speed rather than the operation of the vessel, ABC News reported.
When this took place, the Lighthouse Parasail boat captain “cut the line” that was tethered to three parasailers,” who then “dropped from an unknown height and dragged through the water by the inflated parasail,” according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) incident report.
“The chute continued to drag the victims through and across the surface of the water” until the collision with the Old Seven Mile Bridge near Pigeon Key, according to FWC.
The woman and one of the boys were unconscious following the collision, police said. A nearby boater helped bring the three individuals to a nearby dock, according to an incident report with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
The Coast Guard issued a statement that said Station Marathon boat crews, partner agencies and a good Samaritan recovered a deceased woman and rescued two children on Monday, according to the news outlet.
The citizen boater arrived on the scene, took the three parasailers aboard and brought them to Sunset Grill Marina where they were transferred to EMTs, the Coast Guard confirmed. The children were subsequently transported to Fisherman’s Hospital in Marathon.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving efforts by first responders, MCSO said. FWC identified her as 33-year-old Supraja Alaparthi.
The child-victims included her son and a nephew, according to ABC News.
“Our condolences are with the family and loved ones of those affected by Monday’s accident,” Capt. Jason Ingram, Coast Guard Sector Key West commander, said in a statement. “This was a tragedy for a family seeking to enjoy their visit to the Florida Keys. Our team, and our partners at Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, are investigating the accident to determine the causal factors and mitigate future casualties to make the waterways as safe as possible.”
According to the sheriff’s office incident report, there were about 10 to 12 family members at the scene, including the Alaparthi’s husband. They were on vacation from Schaumburg, Illinois.
