A lawsuit has been filed by the family of a 28-year-old woman who died last August in a parasailing accident in Pompano Beach, Florida. The defendants named in the lawsuit include the Sands Harbor Resort and Custom Chutes, Inc., as well as others. The captain and crew of the boat who took the woman and her husband on the parasailing charter were also named as defendants.The lawsuit asks for an “excess of $15,000” in punitive and compensatory damages.

The woman and her husband, who lived in Connecticut, were on vacation. The woman’s harness broke while she was 200 feet above the water. Her husband, who was up in the air with her when her harness broke, watched helplessly as she fell. The captain and crew have received a lot of criticism because they pulled the husband back down before they went to help the woman. One expert, though, said the captain did the right thing.

The lawsuit alleges the defendants failed to provide a harness for the woman that was good working condition and was safe to use. The woman’s father wants Florida’s legislature to pass stricter safety regulations for parasailing operations, although there have been such bills recently that have not been passed. He said there needs to be more “common sense” in the safety regulations.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, there are about 70 to 120 commercial parasailing operations in Florida. The ride usually lasts about 20 minutes and the cost is between $50 and $100.

This is the second parasailing accident that killed a tourist in the last decade. Another accident occurred in 2007 when a teenager and her sister slammed into a hotel roof after their line snapped in high winds.

If you or a loved one is injured due to someone else’s negligence, contact an experienced Florida personal injury attorney. Financial compensation may be awarded in a civil case to those who are injured or killed due to another’s recklessness or negligence.

Source: sun-sentinel.com, “http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fort-lauderdale/fl-parasailing-death-lawsuit-20130612,0,86031.story,” Rafael Olmeda, June 12, 2013.