A federal grand jury in Florida has indicted a boat captain in connection with the death of an Illinois woman killed in a parasailing accident in 2022.
Daniel Gavin Couch, 52, has been charged with one count of seaman’s manslaughter, accused of “misconduct, negligence, and inattention to his duties” in the Memorial Day 2022 death of Supraja Alaparthi.
Alaparthi, 33, was parasailing with her son and her nephew near Pigeon Bay in the Florida Keys on May 30, 2022, when a strong gust of wind “pegged” their parasail – meaning the wind took over control of the parasail from the boat below.
A subsequent report said this made for a situation so dangerous that Couch decided to cut the line tethered to the victims.
The Alaparthi family’s attorney has said 11 relatives – including Alaparthi’s 6-year-old daughter, were on the boat that afternoon and witnessed Couch cut the cord.
Alparthi and her son and nephew were dropped from an unknown height and dragged through the water by the floating parasail until it finally slammed into Old Seven Mile Bridge, the report said.
Alaparthi died instantly. Her 10-year-old son, Sriakshith Alaparthi, and 9-year-old nephew, Vishant Sadda, were injured, but survived.
Before his indictment on federal charges, Couch already was facing felony manslaughter charges in state court in Florida, as well as several misdemeanor charges.
Monroe County prosecutors have said his decision to cut the cord was reckless, and not only violated commercial parasailing guidelines, but was criminal.
Alaparthi family attorney Pedro Echarte said in a statement that the federal indictment against Couch “comes as no surprise considering what transpired in May of 2022 on his boat.”
“Daniel Couch and the company he worked for have shown a complete lack of care for this grieving family. They have refused to cooperate, ignored court orders, failed to appear, and done nothing to take responsibility in the case. Their disregard for the truth and for this family’s pain has been as shocking as the tragedy itself,” Echarte said.
Couch faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of the federal charges. The state manslaughter charges carry a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.
The Alaparthi family also has filed a lawsuit against the parasailing company, Couch, and other individuals and companies involved in the accident. That lawsuit is still pending in Monroe County, according to online court records.
The family’s attorneys are calling for mandatory training in the parasailing industry.
The video above is from a previous report.
