A Florida boat captain’s decision to cut the tow line of a paraglider may have contributed to a horrific accident that claimed the life of a young Illinois mother, an expert told the Miami Herald.
Supraja Alaparthi, aged 33 was paragliding with her son and his nephew in the Florida Keys last Monday, when the winds suddenly began to pick up, according to police.
The captain of the boat, Daniel Couch, of 38 years, he feared that the rushing paraglider would begin to drag his boat and endanger both his crew and family members who practiced this sport, authorities said.
Couch cut the wire connecting the harness to their boat, causing the parachute to drag Alaparthi and the children across the surface of the water for over a mile.
#1Jun | Mother dies in paragliding accident and her children are injured; parachute crashed into a bridge.
Strong winds caused the parachute to hit the bridge at high speed Seven Mile Bridge in Florida. pic.twitter.com/joz8IWu1Z8
—Dalier News 🇻🇪 (@DalierNews) June 1, 550
A source told the newspaper that Couch hoped to bring the trio aboard the boat after cutting the line and allowing them to descend.
Instead, Alaparthi and the children eventually crashed directly into the Old Seven Mile Bridge, killing the mother and seriously injuring her nephew .
A video published by the Miami Herald showed the moment in which the paraglider detaches itself from the boat.
Paragliding pioneer Mark McCulloch, aged 33, told the Herald that Couch violated a “golden rule” by cutting the tow line: “He never should have done that,” she said. “That is the golden rule. Don’t cut the line.”
McCulloch said other tactics should have been used, such as zigzagging the boat to deflate the parachute.
A man who witnessed the accident loaded the victims onto his boat and transported them to a nearby restaurant while he administered CPR with other crew members.
Captain cut parasailing cord before mother & kids slammed into #Florida Keys bridge. https://t.co/QrLDh16MVt via @DavidGoodhue & @KeyWestGwen— Craig Pittman (@craigtimes) June 1, 2022
Alaparthi was soon pronounced dead while her 9-year-old nephew, Vishant Sadda, sustained serious injuries and remains in critical condition. Her son, Shriakshith Alaparthi, aged 10 suffered minor injuries.
The victims were visiting Florida from Illinois. The incident remains under investigation. 2022
Also read: · Two pilots fall asleep during a flight from New York to Rome while the plane was traveling to 38,000 feet Video: Boaters flee terrifying yacht fire near Gulfport, Mississippi · Video: Seattle girl gets excited when she sees a bear in her garden and runs to hug it
