Parents sue Coconut Grove Sailing Club after 11-year-old nearly loses leg in boating crash

The parents of an -year-old girl have filed a million lawsuit against the Coconut Grove Sailing Club alleging negligence after their daughter was struck by a motorboat propeller during a summer camp session According to the complaint filed Monday in Miami-Dade Circuit Court Bolivar and Michelle Viteri announced their daughter Catherine was swimming as instructed during camp on July when a counselor operating a motorboat ran over her severely lacerating her right leg The photographs of her leg are so gory you couldn t show them in a horror movie reported the Viteri family s attorney Justin Shapiro of Leesfield Partners The tissue the nerves the muscle all of it was severed down to the bone The lawsuit states that the counselor identified as -year-old Myles Carter Holt lost track of the number and location of his campers before driving the boat into the swimming area where Catherine was in the water It s just unimaginable that you drop your child off at this camp and you put your trust in the camp to supervise and protect your child and it s the camp that runs her over with the motorboat reported Shapiro The Coconut Grove Sailing Club failed this family Her injuries were described as gruesome and life-changing leaving her leg permanently mutilated and dysfunctional according to the lawsuit Also named as defendants are counselors Aden Weinberg and Sara Ortiz Vey who were supervising the swimming activity at the time and the Coconut Grove Sailing Club which the complaint accuses of negligent entrustment and inadequate training of its staff The Viteri family is hoping their lawsuit leads to a safer camp for kids I went from panic to absolute sadness mentioned Bolivar Hopefully this and other efforts really bring a better awareness and ultimately change What do you mean a propeller hit her it s a sailing club she s at sail camp where is the propeller from appealed Michelle The lawsuit alleges the camp failed to enforce safety protocols adequately supervise children and ensure boats did not enter designated swimming areas The accident that changed Catherine s life was just days before two children lost their lives during another sailing camp when a boat collided with a barge Shapiro says he is representing the families in that scenario as well We re starting to see this kind of carelessness creep into what should be the safest types of boating exercises and that would be summer camps and children s programs reported Shapiro And it has to stop to make sure this never happens to any other child The Viteris are seeking damages exceeding million for their daughter s catastrophic injuries health expenses and emotional suffering The Coconut Grove Sailing Club had no response for News request for comment