MONROE COUNTY, Fla. – A witness shared a video showing it was windy and there were menacing clouds before a woman died and two boys were injured on Monday while parasailing in the Florida Keys.
Supraja Alaparthi, 33, was parasailing in a three-seater with her 10-year-old son Sriakshith Alaparthi, and her 9-year-old nephew Vishant Sadda, just west of Pigeon Key.
Charter Boat Capt. John Callion was among the several witnesses who watched in horror as the parasail collided with the old Seven Mile Bridge.
“One of the kids was upside down and the woman was lying face flat in the water,” Callion said.
Alaparthi, of Elk Grove Village, died. Her son and nephew were injured.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Daniel Couch, the boat’s captain, gusts filled the sail and started to drag the boat, so he had to cut the line tethered to the three victims.
The Monroe County State Attorney’s Office is still reviewing the case. Prosecutors had yet to decide if they will file charges against Couch, who lives in Marathon.
There are pending investigations by FWC and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Afternoon report
Location