In response to a parasailing accident that claimed the lives of two women off Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, the United States Coast Guard recently engaged the National Transportation Safety Board to test equipment involved in the mishap.
According to witness reports, Lorrie Shoup of Granby, Colorado, and Cynthia Woodcock of Kernersville, North Carolina, were aloft in a boat-towed parasail near the beach when gusty winds from a passing frontal boundary overloaded the tow line. The line snapped, separating the still-harnessed women from the commercial operator's tow boat. High winds carried the women down the beach, flipping them over and slamming them repeatedly into the wave tops. The North Carolina Medical Examiner's Office determined that the women were killed by blunt trauma.
The Coast Guard's investigation now includes physical testing of the parasail equipment used by the parasail operator. A focus of the inquiry is the tow line that connected the parasail to the tow boat. In that regard, the Coast Guard's particular interest is determining the wind load that the equipment can tolerate.
The Coast Guard also is reviewing the actions of the parasail operator before and after the accident. Indications are that a special weather warning regarding approaching storms was broadcast around the time the parasail boat entered the nearby intracoastal waterway as it headed to its ocean operations area.
A formal report by the Coast Guard is not expected for several months. The agency became involved in light of the fatalities and the large number of parasail operators along the Atlantic coast, with its many beaches popular with tourists.
The women's families have filed lawsuits in North Carolina state court. In the meantime, the defendants have sought protection in federal district court pursuant to the federal Limitation of Liability Act. Under that statute, enacted by Congress in 1851, a vessel owner's liability for property or personal injury damages can be limited to the value of the ship. The limitation does not apply, however, if an injured victim can prove the vessel owner had knowledge of negligence or an unseaworthy condition that caused the accident or injury.
If you have questions about a maritime incident, or if you've suffered a maritime injury, it's important to contact an experienced maritime attorney. Maritime laws can be complicated, making it critical to receive knowledgeable, professional guidance and, if necessary, representation regarding your personal injury or other maritime claim. Contact a maritime attorney online at Arnold & Itkin LLP for a free consultation or call our maritime law office toll free at 866-222-2606.
