PANAMA CITY - Deputies with the
The suspect is described as a white man, in his late 40s or early 50s with a medium build brown hair. He’s about 5’8” and he was wearing a white t-shirt and blue jean shorts when he was last seen, according to the BCSO.
Anyone with information that leads to the identification of the suspect is
The Connecticut Post said the allegations turned
According to police records, Smith went to his cousin’s home in
Smith told his cousin he had returned to his former house to sleep on the porch, and he was invited inside by Angel Gonzalez, a homeless man who was squatting at the house. He told his cousin he used the ax to kill Gonzalez and then took pieces of his body to his brother’s grave, where he ate them and washed them down with wine.
More than a
Smith got on a bus to
Smith, 36, faces up 60 years in prison if he’s convicted of murder, according to the Post. On the other hand, he could be released if he’s found not guilty by reason of insanity and the judges determine he’s not a danger to himself or others. Or he could be committed to a mental hospital for the rest of his life.
Smith’s attorney plans to call two
PANAMA CITY BEACH — At least two people were injured in a parasailing crash Monday afternoon, officials and witnesses said.
Witnesses said strong winds tossed two young women, possibly in their mid- to late teens, after a line connecting them to a boat detached. Several witnesses said the victims were in a tandem harness under a parachute that detached from a boat.
Cole Adair and Michael Kennedy, on vacation from Georgia, were bleeding after they jumped a fence to get to the victims, who smashed into a condominium and then were carried into a power line near Thomas Drive before crashing into several vehicles in the parking lot, where they came to rest.
The victims' impact caved in the roof and front windshield of the SUV in the parking lot.
Kennedy and Adair said the women appeared to have sustained serious injuries.
"It was gruesome," Kennedy said.
The identities of the victims have not been released and their condition was unknown Monday evening. They were rushed to the hospital. Others who came to their aid in the parking lot said both were breathing, but only one was conscious.
Kennedy and Adair said both victims went limp after crashing into the side of The Commodore Condominiums and stayed that way for several seconds before they reached the ground.
"It seemed like a long time," Adair said.
Amy Barron, of Alabama, watched helplessly from the RV park across Thomas Drive. She said she saw the women hit either a power line or a utility pole before they crashed in the parking lot.
"We knew they were going to hit, but there was nothing we could do about it," Barron said.
Parker Dixon, of Georgia, said he saw an electrical explosion when the victims made contact with the power line or pole.
The incident happened around 4 p.m. as a storm passed.
Investigators with the Bay County Sheriff's Office, the U.S. Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission were on scene interviewing witnesses as crowds gathered to watch from the balconies of nearby rental units.
Witnesses said strong winds from a passing storm tossed two 17-year-old women, Sidney Renea Good and Alexis Fairchild, both of
“We need all the prayers for these girls that we can get,” Eric Good,
“These winds kept the chute aloft and several attempts to winch the riders back onto the vessel failed,” the news release states. “The anchor was set to keep the boat from being pulled onto shore. The towline detached and the riders were helpless to control the chute.”
The captain of the boat, the “Why Knot,” was 30-year-old Tyler Churchwell for Aquatic Adventures. He declined to comment for this story.
Several witnesses said the victims were in a tandem harness under a parachute that detached from a boat.
Cole Adair and Michael Kennedy, on vacation from
The impact caved in the roof and front windshield of an SUV in the parking lot.
“It was gruesome,” Kennedy said.
Good and Fairchild were rushed to the hospital after Monday’s incident. Others who came to their aid in the parking lot said both were breathing, but only one was conscious at the time.
Kennedy and Adair said both victims went limp after crashing into the side of The Commodore Condominiums and stayed that way for several seconds before they reached the ground.
“It seemed like a long time,” Adair said.
Amy Barron, of
“We knew they were going to hit, but there was nothing we could do about it,” Barron said.
Parker
Investigators with the Bay County Sheriff's Office, the U.S. Coast Guard and
Friends and family turned to Twitter and Facebook to offer prayers and support under the tag #prayforsidneyandalexis. Family members said on Facebook that both girls were undergoing a series of surgeries at a local hospital for their injuries
Bay Medical Center Sacred Heart Health System released a statement from the families of Fairchild and Good, thanking the community for its support and asking for privacy.
“We are very grateful for the love and support that we've received from family and friends at home as well as many people here in Panama City who have assisted us," the statement said. "We ask for privacy at this time as we focus on Alexis and Sidney. Thank you for respecting our wishes and for your concern for our daughters. We truly appreciate your thoughts and prayers.”
An individual answering the phone at Aquatic Adventures, the parasailing company that owned the boat, said the company would have no comment.
In May of this year the Florida Legislature failed to pass a bill that would have regulated the parasailing industry. James Vaught, a managing partner of Aquatic Adventures in
“It’s a lot of bad information,” Vaught said of the bill. “We’re just not being looked at correctly… we’re being looked at like a bunch of rogue pirates.”
Aquatic Adventures controls the largest parasail fleet in the
The bill would have prevented any parasail apparatus from operating within 1,800 feet of the shore and required boat operators to have a radio on board to monitor weather conditions and would prohibit parasailing during sustained winds of more than 20 mph, in rainy conditions and in times of poor visibility.
Vaught said he believes it should be up to industry leaders to regulate themselves, and spoke in support of a set of international safety standards for parasailing under development by the Water Sports Industry Association (WSIA) in
“We’ve started creating our own standards,” Vaught said. “We’ve got a good plan going.”
He added that his company has been operating under safe practices for 12 years.
“We’re in parasailing because we love the sport and we want to do it right,” he said. “We want to run the industry correctly and we want to save the industry.”
S.
SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — A prosecutor in George Zimmerman’s murder trial on Tuesday tried to pick apart the statements of a Sanford police detective was a prosecution witness but gave testimony that seemed to benefit the defense.
Prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda asked the judge to strike from the record a statement Detective Chris Serino made Monday in which he said he found credible Zimmerman’s account of how he got into a fight with Trayvon Martin.
Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in 17-year-old’s fatal shooting last year, arguing he acted in self-defense.
De la Rionda argued the statement was improper because one witness isn’t allowed to give an opinion on the credibility of another witness. Defense attorney Mark O’Mara argued it was proper because it was Serino’s job to decide whether Zimmerman was telling the truth.
Judge Debra Nelson told jurors to disregard the statement.
“This is an improper comment,” the judge said.
The prosecutor then questioned Serino about his opinion that Zimmerman didn’t display any ill will or spite to Martin. Prosecutors must prove there was ill will, spite or a depraved mind by the defendant to get a second-degree murder conviction.
The prosecutor played back Zimmerman’s call to police to report the teen wailing through his gated community. Zimmerman uses an expletive, refers to “punks” and then says, “These a———-. They always get away.”
The detective conceded that Zimmerman’s choice of words could be interpreted as being spiteful.
The prosecutor also challenged Serino’s contention that Zimmerman’s story didn’t have any major inconsistencies.
The prosecutor played back Zimmerman’s police interview and noted that investigators were asking about small differences in the neighborhood watch volunteer’s story. Zimmerman claimed he spread out the teen’s arms after the shooting. But a photo taken immediately afterward shows Martin’s arms under his body.
“Is that inconsistent with the defendant’s statement he spread the arms out?” de la Rionda asked.
“That position, yes it is,” Serino said, though he later noted that Zimmerman’s description was consistent with the medical examiner’s report.
Later, in response to Serino’s cross-examination testimony that he’d seen a convenience store video that showed Martin in a hooded sweatshirt, de la Rionda asked, “Are you saying in Seminole County, it’s illegal for someone to wear a hoodie at night?”
“No sir. I’m not,” Serino said.
Zimmerman has said he fatally shot the unarmed black teen in self-defense in February, 2012, because he says Martin was banging his head into a concrete sidewalk behind townhomes in a gated community. Zimmerman, 29, could get life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder.
The state argued during its opening statement that Zimmerman profiled Martin from his truck and called a police dispatch number before he and the teenager got into a fight. Zimmerman has denied the confrontation had anything to do with race, as Martin’s family and their supporters have claimed. A 44-day delay in Zimmerman’s arrest led to protests around the nation; he was ultimately charged by a Florida special prosecutor. Zimmerman’s father is white and his mother is Hispanic.
Prosecutors on Tuesday also asked the judge to allow them to introduce school records showing Zimmerman took a class that addressed Florida’s self-defense law. They say it will show he had knowledge of the law, even though he claimed he didn’t in an interview with talk show host Sean Hannity. The interview was played for jurors.
O’Mara objected, saying the records were irrelevant. He referred to the prosecution’s efforts to introduce them as “a witch hunt.”
Prosecutors also want to introduce a job application Zimmerman made to a police agency in Virginia and an application to ride around with Sanford police officers.
The judge said she would rule later Tuesday.
Late in the morning the prosecution called Mark Osterman, a federal air marshal who described Zimmerman as “the best friend I’ve ever had.”
He testified that he spoke with Zimmerman both the night of and the day after the shooting. Osterman later wrote a book about his recollections of what Zimmerman told him.
Under questioning by de la Rionda, Osterman said that Zimmerman told him Martin had grabbed his gun during their struggle, but that Zimmerman was able to pull it away.
That account is different from what Zimmerman told investigators in multiple interviews when he only said it appeared Martin was reaching for his gun prior to the shooting. He never told police the teen grabbed it.
“I thought he had said he grabbed the gun,” Osterman said. “I believe he said he grabbed the gun.”
Prosecutors also called to the witness stand a medical examiner from Jacksonville who didn’t perform the autopsy on Martin but was asked by prosecutors to review evidence in the case. Dr. Valerie Rao testified that Zimmerman’s injuries were insignificant, bolstering the prosecution’s claims that Zimmerman’s life wasn’t in jeopardy during his fight with Martin.
“They were so minor that the individual who treated and examined Mr. Zimmerman decided stitches weren’t required,” Rao said.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Two men are now in custody facing federal charges linked to the alleged kidnapping of a woman who walked into a Mississippi police station saying she had been abducted in Florida.
The FBI filed charges Tuesday against 57-year-old Ruperto Moncillo Flores and 31-year-old Jacobo Feliciano-Francisco — also known as Uriel Castillo-Ochoa.
Flores, of Lawrenceville, Ga., is charged with violating the federal Mann Act, which prohibits the transporting of any person in interstate or foreign commerce with the intent that such person engage in prostitution or any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offence.
Feliciano-Francisco, of Hattiesburg, is charged with kidnapping.
Both are being detained without bond.
Organizers say groups of 20 or more joined in prayer services held Tuesday afternoon and evening at a Huntington church for 17-year-olds Sidney Good of Roanoake and Alexis Fairchild of Huntington. They've been hospitalized in critical condition after strong winds caught the detached parasail in
BONIFAY -- A woman from Lockhart, Ala. died Thursday from injuries received when she lost control of her SUV and crashed in Bonifay on Wednesday.
Candace Faith Capshaw, 20, was traveling north on County 177A about 7:30 a.m., according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Her Dodge Durango began sliding as it entered a curve. Capshaw tried to regain control, but the SUV collided with a pine tree.
She was initially taken to Doctors Memorial Hospital in Bonifay, but transferred to Bay Medical Hospital Sacred Heart Health System in Panama City, where she died. Capshaw was not wearing a seatbelt, according to a Florida Highway Patrol incident report.
PANAMA CITY BEACH — In the company’s first public statement since two teenage girls were critically injured in a parasailing crash in Panama City Beach, Aquatic Adventures extended their sympathy to the victims and their families Wednesday, and said the incident was “tragic.”
“Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the families of the injured girls and we all pray for their speedy recovery,” wrote Jeff Jones, owner of Aquatic Adventures. “While we adhere to best practices to minimize the risks associated with watersport activities, sudden weather conditions can and do occur.”
Jones noted that an investigation into the incident by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is ongoing, and that Aquatic Adventures is “unable to comment further at this time.”
Wednesday, Sidney Renea Good and Alexis Fairchild, 17-year-old girls from Roanoke, Ind., still were in critical condition at Bay Medical Center Sacred Heart Health System, according to a statement released by their families. They each suffered head trauma and severe lacerations in the incident. Fairchild has undergone spinal surgery. Both girls are communicating with their families and hospital staffers through small movements, including hand gestures.
“Both girls sustained head trauma as well as multiple severe lacerations,” according to the statement. “Alexis has severe back injuries and Sidney has neck trauma. However, we are fortunately seeing some positive signs from both Sidney and Alexis. Sidney has been responsive to caregivers and has been able to use small movements to communicate including a thumbs up for her parents. Alexis had surgery (Wednesday) on her spine and has also been responsive including a small wave at her parents when she returned from surgery. Our families are incredibly touched by all the support we've received from friends at home and from many people we haven't met before who are praying for our girls. While the situation is still critical we are encouraged by these very small signs of progress. We have heard from so many generous people who have offered to help and we are working to establish a fund for the medical care of both Sidney and Alexis. We will have more information on that to come. Thank you again to all who are thinking of and praying for our girls. Your prayers are working!”
The girls were critically injured Monday after their parasailing line detached. Strong winds carried the girls’ parachute to shore, where they struck the high-rise condominium complex The Commodore. Witnesses said the girls were then blown into a power line before striking a vehicle in The Commodore parking lot and landing on the pavement.
The National Weather Service was unable to provide data on shoreline wind conditions during the parasailing crash, but several witnesses said as the storm approached, wind gusts sent beach chairs and umbrellas tumbling across the sand. Meanwhile, Good and Fairchild were still parasailing.
The captain of the Aquatic Adventures parasailing boat, 30-year-old Tyler Churchwell, has not commented on the incident.
PANAMA CITY BEACH -- An elderly couple found a package of cocaine that washed ashore near City Pier in Panama City Beach on Monday, according to Panama City Beach Police Chief Drew Whitman.
The couple did not know what was in the package, Whitman said, but considered it suspicious and called police.
Thursday, Whitman could not provide details on the size or value of the cocaine package. Its origin is unknown. Police will soon give the package to the Drug Enforcement Agency and assist them in an investigation, Whitman said.
PANAMA CITY — Americans buy more than 23 million cases of beer on July Fourth, accounting for slightly more than 5 percent of annual beer consumption in the country, according to the Nielson Company.
And it’s no coincidence that July Fourth is the deadliest day of the year for motorists, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Data gathered by NHTSA shows that during the last 25 years, nearly 51 percent of traffic crashes on the 4th involved alcohol.
With that in mind, authorities are urging caution on roadways Thursday, especially with heavy rain and strong thunderstorms expected to continue though the holiday. Serious flash flood warnings are in effect, as well.
“They should be taking all the safety precautions they nomally would in driving in inclement weather,” said Lt. Steve Preston with the Florida Highway Patrol. “They need to utilize their wipers and keep their headlights on, and try drive a little bit further behind the vehicle in front of them. And slow down and try to avoid driving through standing water.”
Thunderstorms were expected to continue overnight Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service, which will likely increase the chance of flooding in the Panama City area July Fourth. Current forecasts include a 100 percent chance of rain July Fourth. Conditions aren’t expected to dry off until Sunday.
An average of 491 traffic deaths occur July Fourth, according to NHTSA. Labor Day, Memorial Day and New Year’s Day are the next most deadly days for motorists, respectively. Most fatal crashes occur on two-lane roads, the NHTSA notes, and more people die driving in the rain than in snow or sleet.
“During all the holiday periods — whether it’s the Fourth of July, or Thanksgiving or Christmas — people are off work and celebrating, and unfortunately some people are consuming alcholic beverages and they choose to drive,” Preston said. “All these holidays, people are off and they’re celebrating, and we encourage them not to drink and drive.”
The American Automobile Association estimates that 40.8 million people will travel more than 50 miles from home this July Fourth.
The Florida Highway Patrol recommends planning a safe route home before traveling for July Fourthcelebrations. It also strongly suggests designating a sober driver, or calling a taxi if someone sober isn’t available. And if someone appears to be driving drunk, FHP urges calling the local authorities.
In any case, Preston, said, law enforcement will be watching during the holiday.
“We’ll be out ramping up and intensifying our DUI enformcent, speed enforcement and seatbelt enforcement,” he said.
All Washington County dirt roads are closed to all traffic with the exception of emergency vehicles and extreme caution should be used on all county paved roads until further notice, according to the Washington County Emergency Management Office.
Road crews and law enforcement are continuing to respond and access reported hazardous road conditions and officials called the situation “extremely dangerous.”
“Please heed all state and local warnings and barricades as posted,” officials said.
Additionally, residents along the Choctawhatchee River should monitor rising waters very closely as well as those individuals living along creeks and streams. Minor flooding is forecast for the Caryville area with moderate flooding projected in the Ebro area.
The American Red Cross has opened a shelter at Vernon High School.
PANAMA CITY BEACH — The U.S. Coast Guard will investigate the cause of a parasailing incident that injured two teenage girls near Commodore Condominiums this week.
The Coast Guard announced its Mobile, Ala. offices and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are conducting concurrent investigations and exchanging information. Investigators are looking into contributing factors that led to the incident and identifying appropriate measures to prevent it from happening in the future.
"The Coast Guard investigates all reportable marine casualties and accidents to determine the causal factors, so that through regulation and education we might prevent similar incidents from recurring," Lt. John Authement, supervisor at Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Panama City, said in a press release. "We also investigate these incidents to collect evidence of misconduct, negligence, or violation of law or regulation … ."
The two teenage girls remain in critical condition as Aquatic Adventures released its first public statement. The company extended sympathy to the victims and their families Wednesday, and said the incident was “tragic.”
“Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the families of the injured girls and we all pray for their speedy recovery,” wrote Jeff Jones, owner of Aquatic Adventures. “While we adhere to best practices to minimize the risks associated with watersport activities, sudden weather conditions can and do occur.”
Jones noted that an investigation into the incident is ongoing, and that Aquatic Adventures is “unable to comment further at this time.”
Wednesday, Sidney Renea Good, from Roanoke, Ind., and Alexis Fairchild, from Huntington, Ind., both 17, still were in critical condition at Bay Medical Center Sacred Heart Health System, according to a statement released by their families. They each suffered head trauma and severe lacerations in the incident. Fairchild has undergone spinal surgery. Both girls are communicating with their families and hospital staffers through small movements, including hand gestures.
“Both girls sustained head trauma as well as multiple severe lacerations,” according to the statement. “Alexis has severe back injuries and Sidney has neck trauma. However, we are fortunately seeing some positive signs from both Sidney and Alexis. Sidney has been responsive to caregivers and has been able to use small movements to communicate including a thumbs up for her parents. Alexis had surgery (Wednesday) on her spine and has also been responsive including a small wave at her parents when she returned from surgery. Our families are incredibly touched by all the support we've received from friends at home and from many people we haven't met before who are praying for our girls. While the situation is still critical we are encouraged by these very small signs of progress. We have heard from so many generous people who have offered to help and we are working to establish a fund for the medical care of both Sidney and Alexis. We will have more information on that to come. Thank you again to all who are thinking of and praying for our girls. Your prayers are working!”
The girls were critically injured Monday after their parasailing line detached. Strong winds carried the girls’ parachute to shore, where they struck the high-rise condominium complex The Commodore. Witnesses said the girls were then blown into a power line before striking a vehicle in The Commodore parking lot and landing on the pavement.
The National Weather Service was unable to provide data on shoreline wind conditions during the parasailing crash, but several witnesses said as the storm approached, wind gusts sent beach chairs and umbrellas tumbling across the sand. Meanwhile, Good and Fairchild were still parasailing.
The captain of the Aquatic Adventures parasailing boat, 30-year-old Tyler Churchwell, has not commented on the incident.
PANAMA CITY — Parents of the two teenage girls involved in a Panama City Beach parasailing crash described the events that unfolded this week as “a nightmare.”
Families of 17-year-olds Sidney Renea Good and Alexis Fairchild, both of Roanoke, Ind., thanked the country for the outpouring of support they have received and had positive reports on the girls’ recoveries at Bay Medical Center Sacred Heart Health System Thursday afternoon.
“We wanted to make sure that all the people that have prayed and shown their concern, from all across the world actually, this is how the girls are,” said Amy Good, Sidney’s mother. “And we wanted to share their progress — which is unbelievable.”
Alexis was walking as of Thursday, and Sidney is responsive but her condition is unstable.
“Alexis was able to start walking and went into Sidney’s room to say hi and hold her hand,” said Michael Fairchild, father. “She went back to her wheelchair and just wanted to sit with (Sidney) a bit. Every little bit that happens is good for her. We are just so grateful for where she’s at.”
Families also gave their account of what transpired before the line connecting the two girls to a boat detached.
Collin Good, Sidney’s younger brother, was on the boat at the time.
“The storm was coming in and we could see it off in the distance,” Collin said. “They started pulling them back in with the wench on the boat, and as the rope came in it started going slower and slower.”
The captain ordered to throw the anchor because the boat was being taken closer to shore, he said. The boat jerked as the anchor caught. A moment passed.
“That’s when the cable snapped,” Collin said. “And I had seen them going away.”
Eric and Amy Good were watching the girls from their room on the 20th floor when they noticed the dark clouds. By the time they’d gotten down to the beach to gather their beach chairs and umbrellas the parachute was nowhere to be seen.
“I went out and saw (Amy) talking to two rental guys, and then I just saw her running and I knew something was wrong. I took off after her,” Eric Good said.
As Eric and Amy were running down the beach Collin ran up to them and said, “dad, the rope broke.”
“That’s when it set in,” Eric Good said. “It was a nightmare.”
After colliding with a condominium and a parked SUV the girls were rushed to Bay Medical Center. Sidney was admitted with severe brain trauma, a fractured neck and a severe laceration on the right leg, her parents said.
Angela and Mike Fairchild were notified and were en route from Indiana that night as both girls underwent brain surgery. Alexis also had back surgery and, though she was still in a lot of pain, was walking Thursday morning, her parents said.
Unfortunately, Sidney experienced swelling in her brain and doctors removed a blood clot. Doctors have not been able to operate on her neck.
“It all revolves around her brain injury,” Amy Good said. “Once that is stable it is step-by-step.”
Bay Medical has set up a benefit fund for those who want to donate with PNC Bank called the Good & Fairchild Benefit Fund. There are locations in Panama City Beach and in Lynn Haven as well as multiple locations at home in Indiana. To find a location, visit www.pnc.com.
“Without the prayers none of these kids would be doing as good as they’re doing,” Michael Fairchild said. “We just need everybody to keep praying for us.”
PANAMA CITY BEACH — A 22-year-old woman from Tennessee died Thursday afternoon when she fell from the 10th floor balcony of a Panama City Beach condominium.
According to a press release from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, Leah Brooke Pack was found dead at the scene when deputies responded to a 911 call at the Regency Towers on Thomas Drive at about 4 p.m. Thursday.
Subsequent investigation indicates that Pack, a tourist from McMinnville, Tenn., accidentally fell from the 10th floor. No foul play is suspected at this time, BCSO said.
The body has been turned over to the Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy.
PANAMA CITY -- Two 17-year-old girls critically injured in a Panama City Beach parasailing crash are continuing their recovery at Bay Medical Center, their families said in a news release Friday.
Alexis Fairchild and Sidney Good, both from Roanoke, Ind., suffered head trauma and severe lacerations in the July 1 incident.
Good, who underwent brain surgery, is expected to undergo neck surgery next week. And though she remains in critical condition and is unable to talk, family members said she is showing small signs of progress.
Back surgery was performed on Fairchild, who is now in stable condition. Though she is still in considerable pain, she is walking and has begun physical therapy.
The girls were injured after their parasail line detached. Wind gusts carried the girls into a high-rise condominium, and they collided with a parked SUV before striking the ground.
PANAMA CITY BEACH -- A man allegedly fought with police Friday when he was arrested for stealing a flat-screen TV from a Target store in Panama City Beach, according to police.
Employees of Target at 15555 Starfish St. in Pier Park witnessed the man trying to steal a large TV, and they called police, according to Panama City Beach Police. When officers arrived, they reportedly saw the man leaving with the TV and arrested him after a “lengthy struggle,” a police press release said.
Police said they found a small amount of meth and two oxycodone pills in the man’s possession.
James Herschel Jones, 25, was charged with shoplifting, resisting arrest with violence and possession of narcotics.
After reviewing video surveillance from the store, police also charged Jones in a separate shoplifting incident in which a flat-screen TV was stolen from the same Target store on July 2.
PANAMA CITY BEACH — A proposed law that failed to pass during the most recent legislative session might have prevented an incident Monday that left two Indiana teens in critical condition.
At least six people have died and dozens of others have been injured in Florida as a result of parasailing crashes, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Ira Leesfield, a personal injury attorney from Miami, has won settlements in the millions of dollars for survivors of parasailing crashes or their families, and unless his efforts to convince legislators to regulate the industry are more successful, he expects to collect millions more.
“You don’t get injured a little bit in parasailing accidents,” Leesfield said. “The injuries are catastrophic.”
Alexis Fairchild and Sidney Good, 17-year-old tourists from Indiana, were captured on video after the line between their harness and the boat that pulled them snapped and left them subject to the whims of the wind. The footage shows them smashing into a condominium. It doesn’t show them hitting the power line — or caving in the roof of an SUV before they hit the ground.
Despite some lawmakers’ efforts to pass bills that would restrict who, how, where and when operators can entertain their clients, the parasailing industry remains largely unregulated.
Operators are not required to have certification or training, and there are no requirements for equipment inspections or suspending outings in dangerous weather conditions. Operators aren’t required to carry insurance, which means plaintiffs who sue them have a difficult time recovering meaningful awards, Leesfield said.
“We’ve collected millions, but it’s not easy,” Leesfield said. Regulations would make it easier to sue violators, Leesfield said, but “the most important thing is there would be no injuries.”
Leesfield said the tourism industry balks at safety regulation and insurance requirements, and the industry has a powerful lobby in Tallahassee.
“The equipment is not inspected,” Leesfield said, speaking generally about parasail operators. “The operators aren’t certified. They’re not trained.”
Under the current industry stands, Leesfield said, anyone with a boat, a chute and a line they think is strong enough to keep people in the air can start charging $90 or more for a parasailing trip.
“It’s a very fly-by-night operation,” Leesfield said, “and we’re trying to make it not fly-by-night.”
Aquatic Adventures
Consider the case of Aquatic Adventures, the parasailing business Alexis Fairchild and Sidney Good were using when they crashed.
If Aquatic Adventures were to be sued for what happened Monday, it would not be the first time the company has faced a negligence lawsuit. The company settled a lawsuit with a woman who claimed Aquatic Adventures rented personal watercraft to an intoxicated man who proceeded to run her over. She collected $650,000.
There have been at least two other negligence lawsuits involving parasailers who claim they were injured on outings with the company. The company has been a defendant in more than a dozen lawsuits in Bay County and judges have held owner Jeff Jones in contempt for refusing to follow orders and issued warrants for his arrest at least twice.
In one incident, according to the suit, two sisters had been up for about 15 minutes when the weather turned and winds pushed them in front of the boat. The captain and crew didn’t see them waving for help before they plunged 40 feet into the water, the girls claimed.
The suit alleges, among other claims, that Aquatic Adventures and Jones are liable for “negligently creating a financial incentive for its agents, employees, contractors and/or operators to continue to provide parasailing in the face of unsafe weather conditions.”
Tyler Churchwell, the captain of the vessel involved in the incident Monday, has declined to comment.
Repeated attempts to reach Jones by phone and at various Aquatic Adventures locations were unsuccessful last week. A man who answered the door at the business repair shop said Jones would not be available for several days because he was busy in meetings.
On Wednesday, Jones released a written statement saying he would have no comment since the investigation is ongoing.
“Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the families of the injured girls and we all pray for their speedy recovery,” wrote Jones. “While we adhere to best practices to minimize the risks associated with watersport activities, sudden weather conditions can and do occur.”
Court records paint a picture of a company with money problems.
According to records obtained by The News Herald, the company has been sued successfully for breach of contract several times. Bay County has sued for unpaid taxes; the company owes more than $7,500.
In 2007, one of the company’s former landlords sued successfully and won a judgment of more than $55,000 plus interest. In 2005, a company that made a deal to sell 20 electric vehicles to Aquatic eventually won a judgment for more than $100,000; Aquatic failed to repay more than $28,000 on a loan and was sued.
Judgments against Aquatic have been ordered for the companies that claimed they never got paid for tires and electrical work.
Aquatic Adventures is cooperating with an FWC investigation into Monday’s incident, spokeswoman Karen Parker said. She expected it to take awhile.
That’s not to say Carron Cobb won’t spend time in jail. He’s already there until 2025, according to the Department of Corrections. But in pleading no contest Monday to storming into a home in July 2010 and shooting a man in the back, Cobb, who was 16 when he was arrested, avoided a sentence that could have been much longer.
Judge Timothy
The case went on so long Cobb was represented by several attorneys, including Barbara Beasley when she was with the Public Defender’s Office. Beasley got a job with the State Attorney’s Office, and though she
Caren Roybal, who represented Cobb when his case was finally resolved last week, filed a motion to disqualify the entire State Attorney’s Office for the 14th Judicial Circuit from prosecuting Cobb, and
Cobb had been charged with attempted murder and other felonies, but he pleaded no contest to aggravated battery and aggravated assault.
“Right there,” he said. “You can see how high the water came up.”
Sunday at the apartment complex off Hutchison near Hale, cleanup efforts continued for Speer and dozens of other residents whose homes flooded during recent heavy rainfall in the area. Gulf Highlands management could not be reached for comment Sunday, but several residents said about 70 percent of homes in the complex had major flood damage.
PHOTO GALLERY: CLEAN UP AND SUNSHINE
Except for a few inches of water near the entrance of the complex, floodwater had completely receded from the apartments Sunday. But sidewalks and roads were cluttered with discarded furniture, sheets of drywall, and trash bags stuffed with residents’ personal effects, as if the complex was being cleared for demolition. Carpets were removed from homes, rolled up and stacked on the sidewalk.
“You tear up the carpet and that helps to avoid some of the mildew,” said Barbara Speer, Jim Speer’s wife. Many dumpsters at the complex were overflowing, which forced Gulf Highlands to rent several additional — and larger — dumpsters.
The rain also tore a three-foot hole in the ceiling of the Speers’ apartment, exposing wooden beams and peppering a guest bedroom with pink insulation fiber.
“I guess the insulation just got soaked with water and got heavy, then caved in,” Jim Speer said.
Across from the Speer residence, Joyce Holcomb waited on her porch for an insurance claims adjuster to arrive. A water canal snakes through the apartment complex, and when it flooded, water began flowing through Holcomb’s back door.
“It was up to here,” she said, pointing to her calf. “And the street was flooded, too. But what made it worse was when people would drive by, it made a wake and kind of forced more water into the apartment.”
Sunday, Holcomb’s carpet and half the drywall in her living room had been stripped. She hired a cleaning crew after the water subsided. Many other Gulf Highlands residents hired property restoration contractors. Among the contractors at Gulf Highlands on Sunday was Patrick James with Southern Cat, Inc.
James said that most of the floodwater at Gulf Highlands was “black water” contaminated with bacteria, fungi or other extremely unsanitary agents.
“You really can’t compare the damage to other storms because every storm is different. But we’ve got a lot of work to do,” James said.
In slightly more than a week, about 20 inches of rain fell in some areas of
Partly sunny conditions with intermittent showers and thunderstorms are expected Monday in the
For the Speers, calmer weather is welcome. Six months before their Gulf Highlands apartment flooded, a tree fell on their home in
“It’s like, ‘Ok, God. If you’re trying to tell us something, you’ve got our attention,’” Barbara Speer said.
