By Alex Rickert & Jim McCarthy
A federal indictment released this week adds a third layer of charges for a Marathon captain accused of killing a woman in a 2022 parasailing accident.
A federal grand jury returned the indictment charging Marathon captain Daniel Gavin Couch with one count of seaman’s manslaughter, the United State Attorney’s Office said on Aug. 11.
Per the indictment, Couch, 52, was employed as captain by Lighthouse Parasail Inc. in Monroe County, and operated a commercial parasailing vessel, the M/V Airborne, on the company’s behalf. The Airborne was an inspected commercial vessel regulated by the U.S. Coast Guard and primarily used for parasailing charters.
On May 30, 2022, the indictment states Couch engaged in misconduct, negligence or inattention to his duties as captain, which led to the death of a passenger, 33-year-old Supraja Alaparthi.
Alaparthi was taking a parasail flight with Lighthouse Parasailing out of Marathon along with her 10-year-old son, Sriakshith Alaparthi, and 9-year-old nephew, Vishant Sadda. According to an FWC 24-hour report released a day after the incident, a strong gust of wind “pegged” the parasail, a term used to describe when a parasail becomes controlled by the weather instead of the towing vessel and begins to impede the safe operation of the towing vessel by becoming a sail.
With the parasail pegged, the boat’s captain, Couch, intentionally cut the line tethering the three victims, who dropped to the water and were dragged by the freed parasail across the surface until it collided with the old Seven Mile Bridge, throwing the three into a piling.
Supraja was pronounced dead at the scene when she reached land, according to FWC’s report. Sriakshith suffered minor physical injuries, while Sadda was airlifted to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami.
An indictment contains allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted, Couch could face up to 10 years in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne, of the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent-in-charge Josh W. Packer, of the Coast Guard Investigative Service Southeast Field Office, made the announcement regarding Couch’s indictment. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller and Coast Guard Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner Stiehl are prosecuting the case.
Couch also faces state charges of negligent manslaughter and commercial health and safety violations. That trial is tentatively set for Oct. 6, according to most recent court records.
A civil wrongful death and personal injury case against Couch, mate Tanner Helmers, Lighthouse Parasail and Captain Pip’s Holdings, which owns the marina where the boat departed from, is also pending. The suit alleges that other vessels throughout Marathon came in early due to weather concerns on the day in question, and that the Alaparthi family had conversations with Couch about postponing the trip before being assured that “(they) will be fine.”
