Husband of Illinois woman killed in tragic parasailing crash speaks out for 1st time since accident

The husband of a woman who was killed in a tragic parasailing crash that also injured her son and nephew in the Florida keys spoke publicly for the first time since he witnessed the accident that killed his wife nearly one year ago.

"We are trying our best to focus on the happy memories we shared with my wife and keep her memories alive," Srinivasro Alaparthi said. "It's tough for us but we are trying our best."

Alaparthi's wife, Supraja Alaparthi, 33, was killed while parasailing with her 10-year-old son and her 9-year-old nephew when high winds from a sudden summer storm hit last May, over the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

The comments come as a second lawsuit was filed against the captain, a crew member and a Florida resort company that owns the marina where the boat was based.

"When I look back on the day of the incident, I can't help but think that if the people we trusted from the parasailing company and the Captain Pips Marina, had done their jobs, my wife would still be with us today," Srinivasro Alaparthi said during a news conference in Chicago. "We trust these companies, but they let us down in the worst way possible."

An investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission found Supraja Alaparthi, her son and her nephew were still strapped into the parasail as they were dragged across waves for nearly 2 miles before they slammed into the old Seven Mile Bridge when their boat's captain cut the line that was holding them.

Online court records did not list attorneys representing the captain, crew members and resort company named in the suit and the marina could not immediately be reached for comment.

The boat captain, Daniel Gavin Couch, 49, has been charged with manslaughter in the crash. The Florida public defender's office representing Couch in the criminal case declined Thursday to comment on that case, which is still pending.

Roughly a dozen family members, including Alaparthi’s 6-year-old daughter and her husband, were on the boat at the time of the crash and watched on as their loved one died. They were visiting the Keys from Elk Grove Village, Illinois, and told the captain they could return the next day if the weather was too bad to go up in the parasail. But the captain said it would be OK, the family's attorney Michael Haggard said when he filed the first wrongful death lawsuit last June.

After the parasail hit the bridge, Alaparthi was underwater. Her 10-year-old son was hanging upright, and her 9-year-old nephew was bent backward with his head under water, the report said.

“The captain did not maneuver his vessel under the bridge to offer aide even though the family members on the parasail vessel later reported they were begging him to help,” the arrest warrant said.

The captain of a nearby boat took the victims to shore.

"Thankfully, he cut those three down, he administered CPR, along with the people on his boat, and he took them to the nearest dock and he called for emergency services," said Pedro Echarte with The Haggard Law Firm. "Unfortunately, it was too late for Srinivasro's wife. But that captain and his herioc action saved the lives of those two children. He is a true hero in every sense of the word."

Investigators also found Couch’s decision to cut the tow line was “gross and flagrant” and he should have taken into account other possible options to safely bring the passengers down.

"There needs to be strict regulations in place, and those who disregard the safety of the guests should face these consequences for their actions," Srinivasro Alaparthi said.

Alaparthi's son and nephew suffered "severe physical injuries," his lawyer said, which, in addition emotional injuries, they are still recovering from a year later.

"The loss sustained on May 30, 2022 is unimaginable," said Echarte. "Her son and nephew were not only injured themselves, but they were strapped onto this parasail and witnessed their mother and aunt suffer her last and final moments."