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Thursday, June 8, 2023 10:17AM
CHICAGO (WLS) — The husband of a suburban woman killed while parasailing in the Florida Keys last year is speaking out about the incident for the first time.
It was supposed to be a fun family trip to the Florida Keys and quickly turned into a tragedy.
Thursday morning the widow of the woman killed in a parasailing incident is speaking for the first time about it as the family files a new lawsuit in her death.
Supraja Alaparthi, 33, her 10-year-old son and 7-year-old nephew were in a harness, in the air when court documents say the parasail began “pegging,” meaning the parasail turned into the high winds and dragging the boat.
Family of mother killed in Florida parasailing accident files lawsuit
Dark clouds moved in and the family’s attorney’s said the boat captain took them out in bad weather, then cut the line tethering Alaparthi and the children to the boat.
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That’s when they slammed into a bridge. Supraja was killed, and the children were injured.
Her husband Srinivasrao Alaparthi, speaking publicly for the first time, described to Good Morning America what he felt as it all happened.
“I didn’t observe what exactly he’s doing, when exactly he cut the rope,” he said. “It all came off like fragmented and like that situations were crazy but obviously, whatever he was doing, it was concerning for all of us.”
Twelve family members were on the boat, including her husband and daughter, and watched what happened and felt helpless.
The captain was charged with one count of manslaughter and five counts of violating commercial parasailing statutes.
According to the charges, weather and wind speed are a “key contributing factor” in this incident.
You can watch his full interview on GMA Thursday morning at 7 a.m. after Eyewitness News This Morning.
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