Florida boat captain charged in fatal parasailing accident

MARATHON, Fla. (AP) — A boat captain has been charged with manslaughter in a Memorial Day parasailing crash in the Florida Keys that killed a 33-year-old Illinois woman and injured her young son and nephew.

Jail records in Monroe County show 49-year-old Daniel Gavin Couch was booked on Thursday and is being held on a $100,000 bond.

A Florida Fish and Wildlife investigation found Couch cut the line holding Supraja Alaparthi and the boys because the parasail was “dragging” in high winds from a summer storm.

They were dragged across the waves for nearly 2 miles before slamming into a bridge. A nearby boat captain took them to shore.