An 11-year-old girl almost lost her leg thanks to a boat propeller at camp. After the terrifying incident, her parents are suing the sailing camp in Miami as well as several of the staff. They're seeking $10 million.
The incident happened on July 10. The girl had been swimming at the Coconut Grove Sailing Club's summer camp. That's when a boat propeller struck her leg and nearly amputated. The motorboat belonged to the club, according to the parents' complaint.
"I can just hear her screaming in pain," Catherine's mother, Michelle Viteri, told NBC affiliate WTVJ. "It was the single worst moment of my entire life."
One of the camp counselors had been operating the boat. The parents allege that the counselor was unaware of how many kids and their locations in relation to the boat propeller.
Boat Propeller Mishap
"Predictably, having no awareness of the number or location of the children...[the defendant] operated the subject vessel directly into Catherine and literally ran her over with the propeller," the complaint alleged. "The result was gruesome and life-changing. Catherine suffered a laceration to the bone and near amputation of her right leg. Her leg is now permanently mutilated and dysfunctional."
The parents have accused the camp of negligence. Justin Shapiro, an attorney representing Catherine's parents, discussed the lawsuit.
"There is no question she could have died in this incident," Shapiro said. "The propeller struck her just inches from her femoral artery. God forbid the propeller hit her in the head or neck. It's just unimaginable that you drop your child off at this and you put your trust in the camp to protect your child, and it's the camp that runs her over with a motorboat."
Additionally, the lawyer says the 11-year-old suffered permanent injuries.
"Her parents are helping her through this with the best they can offer, but there is no playbook for this," the lawyer continued.
"With this lawsuit, our clients are looking for accountability and they're looking for positive change," Shapiro added. "They want to see the Coconut Grove Sailing Club make drastic changes to their safety policies and their training programs to make sure this never happens to any other child."
