Did Keys boater follow protocol when he cut parasail cable, sending people into bridge?
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Parasailing tragedy in the Keys
A woman was killed and a child was seriously injured when their parasail was cut loose from a boat and was dragged across the waves before crashing into the Old Seven Mile Bridge.
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Before a mother and two children hit a Keys bridge in their wayward parasail, the operator of the boat cut the cable, investigators say.
According to a police report, he severed the line tethered to the harness because the parasail “pegged” in a high gust of wind, meaning the sail risked dragging the boat. The parasail then dragged the three people across the water until they crashed into the old Seven Mile Bridge in Marathon, killing the woman and injuring two boys.
Should the captain have cut the cord?
A law enforcement sources says Daniel Couch, 49, likely cut the line during the Memorial Day outing to save the boat while hoping to catch the three people on their way down.
A parasailing expert, Mark McCulloh, said the captain should have followed other protocols including steering the boat side to side, which would have deflated the parasail whose state could have posed a danger to the boat’s control.
“He never should have done that,” McCulloh said. “That’s the golden rule. Do not cut the line.”
READ MORE: Captain cut parasailing cable before mom and kids slammed into Keys bridge, police say
This story was originally published June 1, 2022 at 11:18 AM with the headline "Did Keys boater follow protocol when he cut parasail cable, sending people into bridge?."
