(cont'd)
Alaparthi died at the scene, Monroe County Sheriff Sgt. Deborah Johnson said in a report; Alaparthi’s 9-year-old nephew was unconscious and “barely breathing.” Although initially delayed because of the severe weather, a helicopter eventually flew the 9-year-old to a hospital in Miami.
On Tuesday, the boy’s parents told Callion that they expect their son to make a full recovery, Keys Weekly reported.
Woman killed by jet-engine blast at popular Caribbean tourist attraction
The full sequence of events is still being investigated. According to state investigators, the captain of the parasailing boat, identified in an incident report as 49-year-old Daniel Couch, cut the line, causing the three parasailors to drop “from an unknown height.” A person in law enforcement told the Herald that Couch probably did so thinking he and his crew would then catch Alaparthi and the two children as they fell.
Mark McCulloh, who pioneered parasailing in the 1970s and serves as chairman of the Florida-based Parasail Safety Council, told the Herald that Couch should have used other tactics, like veering side to side in an effort to deflate the parasail. Cutting the line is considered a no-no.
“He never should have done that,” McCulloh said. “That’s the golden rule. Do not cut the line.”
Lighthouse Parasail didn’t respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post.
In his Facebook post, Callion described the incident as “life changing” and ended it by articulating the lessons he’d drawn from it, lessons he hopes others will also take to heart.
“Never take life for granted,” he said. “Things can change in a second.”