Kentucky mother, daughter die in Fort Myers Beach parasailing accident

Wednesday, July 11, 2001

By RACHEL WEBB, rawebb@naplesnews.com

A mother and daughter vacationing in Fort Myers Beach died in a parasailing accident Wednesday after the harness carrying them snapped in an afternoon storm.

Taylor Straney, 13, and Lisabeth Hope Bailey-Straney, 37, of Vine Grove, Ky., died within hours of each other after falling 200 feet into shallow water in the Gulf of Mexico shortly before 1 p.m.

Taylor Straney was taken by ambulance to Healthpark Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, said Lt. Daryl Amberson, of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Her mother died several hours later at Lee Memorial Hospital. Investigators say a combination of equipment failure and bad weather likely caused the accident.

 

Mike Scuta, right, a crew member of the parasailing boat "Hang 'em high" is questioned by Joanne Adams of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission after an accident occured killing a 13-year old girl and critically injuring her mother while they were parasailing off Fort Myers Beach. Sarah Collins, far left, and Deanna Galati who were passengers on the boat were not injured but were also interviewed. According to reports, the parachute line parted with their harness and the pair fell about 200 feet into shallow water. Cameron Gillie/Staff

"Obviously, high winds are not good conditions for parasailing," Amberson said.

Gary Morse, spokesman for the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said the two were vacationing in Fort Myers Beach with Bailey-Straney's other daughter, Kristen Bailey, 17.

Kristen Bailey, of Lawrenceville, Ga., was in the boat with a friend and saw the accident.

Beachgoers noticed the boat operators struggling to reel the pair in as the weather became more severe and winds picked up around 12:30 p.m. After several tries, the harness carrying the parasailors snapped, and they fell into the gulf. The pair landed in less than 4 feet of water.

The Conservation Commission and Coast Guard are jointly investigating the incident. The Coast Guard investigates accidents involving commercial vessels.

Several passengers were on the parasail trip, as were two employees of AA Parasail and Waverunners, Etc. Inc., the company offering the trip.

Deanna Galati, and Sarah Collins, both 17, boarded the boat around noon. They said Bailey-Straney calmed their nervousness about parasailing, telling them it was safe and even encouraged them to go first.

Collins and Galati said they had an uneventful ride but the weather worsened as mother and daughter rode in the tandem parasail harness.

"The wind all of a sudden just came up with no warning and the water got really choppy," Collins said, still clad in a bathing suit and towel at the parking lot of the Fort Myers Beach Holiday Inn.

Collins and Galati, who are vacationing from Pittsburgh, said the boat's captain tried to bring the pair down and radioed his office for help. Through the ordeal, Collins said, the boat's two employees remained calm.

"They did a good job," she said. "They did everything they could. They didn't panic."

Employees from AA Parasail and Waverunners would not comment on the accident. Lt. Amberson said Scott Siddon, 30, of Fort Myers, captained the boat and Chris Benjamin, 30, of Fort Myers, was also on board. State law requires commercial parasailing boats have two people on board.

The boat was a 29-foot Premium Parasail with "Hang 'em high" emblazoned on the stern, said Sgt. Mike Frantz, of the Conservation Commission.

Kevin McFadden called 911 from his 12th-floor hotel room at the Gullwing Beach Resort when he saw the scene grow chaotic. The parasailors were nearly at eye level from his vantage point.

McFadden, an avid parasailor, said waves forced the boat closer to shore as the operators tried to bring the parasailors down. The boat's captain tried several times to move into the gulf and the mother and daughter were gesturing wildly with their arms and legs.

After the harness snapped, McFadden said, the two hit the surface flat on their backs.

"It looked like the chute ripped through the middle," he said, standing on the beach after the accident. "The girls went right down."

Few regulations govern the parasailing industry. Parasailing companies must have two employees on every trip, customers must wear life preservers and they can only parasail during certain hours. Parasail captains must also be licensed by the Coast Guard.

Lt. Stephen Ward, of the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in Tampa, said the boat's captain was licensed. The Coast Guard does not inspect parasailing boats or equipment.

"This is the first parasail fatality I've heard of on the west coast of Florida," Ward said. "We need to speak to the operator and look at the weather conditions, the status of the captain's license and to witnesses and sheriff's deputies.

If the captain is found at fault, punishment could range from revoking his license to civil penalties.

Bill Hanson of Bonita Jetski and Parasail said bad conditions kept his boats docked Wednesday. Parasailing is quite safe, but in the wrong conditions it can be fatal, Hansons said.

"Doing it in conditions like today's raises the risks astronomically," he said.

Storms come up frequently in Southwest Florida summers. But they're usually clearly visible from the shore and captains can usually outrun them to find safety, Hanson said.

This is not the area's first parasail injury. In July 1997, two Virginia teen-agers were struck by lightning while parasailing off Vanderbilt Beach in Collier County. Ashley Shulte, 17, and her brother, Michael, 14, fell 150 feet into the gulf near the Ritz-Carlton, Naples.

The teens suffered second- and third-degree burns from the strike and the Coast Guard suspended the operator's license for a year. The operator, Paul Whipple, of Naples, also received one year of probation.

Hanson said broken lines are not uncommon, but the parasailors usually will gently land in the water, carried by the parachute.

"It's probably happened to everyone who's ever parasailed at least once," Hanson said.

Wednesday's case was unusual because the parachute separated from its passengers, Hanson said. Investigators suspect the harness carrying the mother and daughter snapped. The parachute flew over a real estate office and landed next to an Estero Boulevard convenience store.

Hanson said he would like captains to receive more training. Captains take a Coast Guard exam to obtain a license, but the exam has nothing to do with parasailing, Hanson said.

"Not everybody is cut out to be a parasail captain," he said. "People's lives are at stake."

The industry has boomed, Hanson said. Seven companies operate on Fort Myers Beach and competition is tough. Not everyone is willing to come in from the rain if money is at stake, he said.

"Some people are starving to death and willing to take chances with people's lives because they've got to stay in business," Hanson said.

Hanson said potential customers should check with the Coast Guard to see if a parasail company has had accidents. They should also avoid "flying" in strong winds or storms.

Straney's other daughter, Kristen, has been shaken but strong throughout the ordeal, Morse said.

"(Kristen) is somebody her mother can be proud of," he said.