A tragic incident unfolded at a summer camp in Florida when an 11-year-old girl was severely injured by a boat propeller. The girl’s parents have filed a lawsuit alleging that a camp counselor was responsible for the accident, which occurred at the Coconut Grove Sailing Club in Miami.
The young camper, Catherine Viteri, was partaking in a swimming activity when the incident took place. The lawsuit claims that the counselor, 21-year-old Myles Carter Holt, lost count of his campers and their whereabouts. Holt was operating a 2008 13-foot Ribcraft motorboat when he allegedly collided with Catherine, causing her leg to be severely lacerated.
Justin Shapiro, the attorney representing the family, described the incident as a “permanent mutilation.” He stated that the boat’s propeller nearly severed Catherine’s leg, causing extensive damage to her muscles and nerves. This has resulted in disfiguring scar tissue and potential lifelong functional issues with her leg.
The lawsuit further alleges that Holt was transporting a group of children to the swimming activity location when the accident occurred. His alleged inattentiveness resulted in him being unaware of the number of children on the boat and in the water. The lawsuit claims that Holt’s negligence led to him running over Catherine with the boat’s propeller, causing “gruesome and life-changing” injuries.
The lawsuit also implicates two other counselors, Aden Weinberg and Sara Ortiz Vey, who were supposed to be supervising the children during the swimming activity. They are accused of failing to provide adequate and reasonable supervision.
The Viteri family is seeking $10 million in damages from Holt and the Coconut Grove Sailing Club. The club has yet to respond to requests for comment regarding the lawsuit.
Shapiro underscored the severity of the situation, stating that this was not a case of a random boater unaware of children swimming, but a camp counselor who was supposed to be protecting and supervising the children. He added that while there are many dangers in the ocean, a camp counselor should not be one of them.