Parents Of 11-Year-Old Boy Who Died At Adventureland File Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Parents of an 11-year-old boy who fatally died on a water ride at the Altoona, Iowa amusement park Adventureland in 2021 reportedly filed a wrongful death lawsuit on Thursday.

David and Sabrina Jaramillo, together with three of their children David Jaramillo Jr., August Jaramillo and Nyla Pettie filed a lawsuit against Adventureland Park, alleging the park failed to properly maintain and repair its rides.

The family including 11-year-old Michael Jaramillo rode on the Raging River at the park on July 3, 2021, when the raft carrying all six family members flipped, resulting in them being trapped beneath the water. Michael and David were strapped in adjacent seats with a shared seat belt, they remained trapped beneath the surface. Michael drowned and other family members were reportedly injured. He died at a hospital and his brother, David, had to be in a medically induced coma before beginning a slow recovery that left him with some cognitive difficulties.

Sabrina previously told state investigators that the raft began bumping on the bottom of the water-filled ride course as soon as it was launched. She said it started to fill with water, and after rounding a bend, overturned.

The lawsuit claims that Adventureland failed to properly maintain and repair its rides for years, including the Raging River. The family alleges the park continued to operate on the day of the accident despite various reports of serious problems. The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages for negligence against the company that owned the park, Adventure Lands of America, its former CEO Michael Krantz and three managers.

According to the court documents, Adventureland is vicariously responsible for the actions of the men. "All actions or failures to act by the stated officers and managers occurred during their employment by Adventureland, and within the scope of their employment."

There have been at least 21 severe accidents involving river rapids rides since 1984, and at least eight people have died in them. In June 2016, Steve Booher was also injured while unloading patrons from the Raging River. The 68-year-old man reportedly died four days later from head trauma. The Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Adventureland $4,500 in connection with his death. In Dec. 2020, the park also settled a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Booher's wife together with their children for an undisclosed sum.