Iowa amusement park's Raging River ride permanently closed after boy, 11, died as his raft overturned in 2021 accident
ALTOONA, IOWA: The owners of an Iowa amusement park have confirmed that the water ride which killed an 11-year-old boy back in 2021 will never reopen after the tragic incident. A thorough investigation by the state also revealed that the rides at the Adventureland Park were operating with "duct tape and bubblegum."
Michael Jaramillo, 11, died while his 16-year-old brother, David, suffered a major brain injury after their raft overturned on the Raging River ride at the Iowa amusement park and trapped them under water on July 3, 2021. Their parents, David Sr. and Sabrina Jaramillo, were reportedly also on the ride with three of their children and niece Mila when the raft flipped upside down. A shocking video of the horror showed the family trying to free themselves from their locked seats while being stuck underwater. While the adults were successful in doing so, along with their youngest son Gus and niece Mila, young David and Michael remained stuck under the surface, as per The Sun. The brothers were freed with the help of emergency services and were quickly hospitalized where Michael died from his injuries while his brother was put in a coma.
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Raging River ride at permanently shut down
Adventureland’s general manager, Bill Lentz, said in a letter posted on the theme park’s website on Friday, February 3, that after a long safety review of the Raging River ride, officials have decided to close it permanently. “The decision comes after months of examination of the ride, working closely with its manufacturer to identify what enhancements each would need to meet our operating standards,” Lentz wrote in the statement, as per The Washington Post. “Based upon that review, the best path forward is to close Raging River, and focus on enhancing the Adventureland experience elsewhere.”
The amusement park was sold to Palace Entertainment in December 2021 in the wake of the boy’s death. Later, in 2022, Lentz took over as the general manager. At the time of the state’s investigation into the incident, a former manager of the rides at the theme park revealed how the rides were kept operating with “duct tape and bubble gum.”
Jaramillo family is suing Adventureland Park
According to court records, the Jaramillo family is suing Adventureland Park and has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against its former owners, including Adventure Lands of America, alongside ex-CEO Michael Krantz, and three managers in June 2022. The family is seeking unspecified monetary compensation for negligence while the defendants have maintained that the ride was safe. “All actions or failures to act by the stated officers and managers occurred during their employment by Adventure Land, and within the scope of their employment,” the lawsuit read, as per The Sun.
The lawsuit goes on to say that Adventureland failed to ensure that “ride maintenance and repairs were not hastily and cheaply conducted in a sub-standard manner not recommended by a manufacturer…resulting in exposure to injury and damage by Adventureland Patrons.” The trial is tentatively set for March 11, 2024.
When speaking to Good Morning America following the incident, Sabrina Jaramillo revealed Adventureland “robbed me of my baby,” adding, “Love your kids. You just don’t know when they’ll be taken.”