Friday, July 13, 2007

Update onTragic Death of Four Year Old at Great America Amusement Park and 16 Year Old in Oshkosh (Update 12-7-07) Kaitlyn Lasitter

Tradegy can strike any where. Even at a place that is suppose to be a fun safe haven for children from the dangers of urban life. A 4-year-old boy drowned in the wave pool at the Paramount Great America amusement park in Santa Clara, California and a 16 year old fell from a ride in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Lifeguards pulled the unconscious boy from a two-foot-deep section of the "Great Barrier Reef." Bill Lentz, Great America 's general manager, indicates that the wave pool contains 355,000-gallon of water. It opened Memorial Day. Waves simulates the sensation of an ocean (California apparently does not have enough ocean. In the past wave pools have been common in places like the midwest where oceans are "something you see on post cards and in movies.)

The park apparently provides life vests and inner tubes for visitors to use in the wave pool. (Generally inner tubes are forbidden at most wave pools for safety reasons!) The pool does not have age or size restrictions. No public information has been released as to who was supervising the four year old at the time of the accident. Lifeguards and Great America emergency workers administered CPR on the child until paramedics took over.The boy died at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Santa Clara.

We should all join in mourning the loss of this child, for the world has been robbed of what he may have contributed had he had the opportunity.

Update: 7-14-07

Yolanda Flores, mother of the child, blames the Great America amusement park in Santa Clara for the drowning of her 4-year-old boy. Flores apparently let her 4-year-old boy, Carlos Alejandro Flores, play unattended. She claims there were only four life guards on duty not six as Park officials contend. Carlos drowned in two feet of water and according to mom was discovered by his 8 year old sister, Jasmine.

Great America policy requires six life guards; however, they advocate adult supervision of one's own child.

Elizbeth Mohl

Update 7-15-07
Tragedy strikes in Oshkosh, WI. A 16 year old teen, Elizabeth K. Mohl, fell from a festival ride and died. The ride, Old Glory, used a crane to hoist up a person in a sling. At the top, the person pulls a ripcord which drops the person while they swing back and forth. Unfortunately for Elizabeth, the ride malfunctioned.

Kaitlyn Lasitter

Update: 7-24-04 LOUISVILLE, Ky., July 13 (UPI) -- Randall and Monique Lasitter, parents of Kaitlyn Lasitter, have filed a suit against Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom theme park because their daughter's feet were severed on a ride. The suit is filed in Jefferson Circuit Court. Plaintiff's seek money damages and a restraining order to bar the theme park from dismantling the ride. Doctors at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville reattached Kaitlyn Lasitter's right foot, but the left one could not be saved. Thirteen year old Kaitlyn Lasitter remains hospitalized and Legal Pub wishes her a speedy recovery.

Update 12-7-07. Congratulations to Kaitlyn Lasitter. She has taken a big step on the road to recovery as yesterday she took her first steps with a prosthetic limb. God's speed, young lady. Thousands of people are praying for your swift recovery.



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28 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is an unexpected loss.

Anonymous said...

I was expecting something funny, but this brought a tear to my eye. I stumbled onto this blog and I love it. You give a fresh look at so many topics. Some funny, some sad.

Anonymous said...

I have a four year old, and this is a very sad story. It makes me wonder how some parents care for their children. While my four year old has taken many swimming lessons, I would not let her in a wave pool without close adult supervision. I watch her closely at the beach as well, since similar tragedies can happen in the waves at the beach.

Anonymous said...

The death of a child is always a tragic loss. While one natural instinct is to blame the parents, we don't know who was watching the young lad. Just a time to be sad.



Ralph

Anonymous said...

it is all about parental responsibility. This should never happen. If the child is in any pool, he needs to be watched carefully..


Jill

Anonymous said...

Sure blame the park that is the easy way out, mom.


My Child's Parent

Anonymous said...

both are tragedies

Anonymous said...

i would say tht the parents were to blame because first of all a child of that age shuld never be by their selfs, and second of all no one should be swimming by their selfs even if they are older.

Anonymous said...

There will be a huge lawsuit over the death of the teen age girl who fell. All the money in Wisconsin will not be enough.

Shell

Anonymous said...

No amount of money will bring back Elizabeth Mohl. The parents are not at fault. This was not lack of supervision. This was pure negligence in the operation or maintence of this ride!

Bruce

Anonymous said...

the 16 year old girl's parent have every right to blame it on the festival because it was not the girl's fault that the ride malfuntioned although it was her faulty luck that it was her turn on the ridewhen the ride failed.

Anonymous said...

Iron Mike said...

Shell, wait for all the facts. Maybe the ride did not malfunction. I doubt that she jumped, but let's wait until the investigation is complete before we give this girl's family all the money in Wisconsin.


Iron Mike

Anonymous said...

Why does every American look for some one to blame. Maybe it was just time for this child and this teen age girl to die.

Ever see final destination? If that movie is true, when it is your time to go, it is your time to go.


Kevin

Anonymous said...

These are both very sad stories...but yet the girl on the ride, the amusement park or carnival is to blame...as for the Great America Death....what the hell is wrong with his mother?? Why wasn't she watching him? She is to blame...not great america...no matter how many life guards they had on duty...I was there the week before thishappened and there are 200 friggin people in there...why would youlet your 4 year old in there by themselves??? Great America is not a babysitting service! Jeez! STUPID STUPID PARENTS!!!!

Anonymous said...

I have to agree, Great America is not to blame. The mom is in denial. She never should have left her 4 year old boy up to the life guards for safe keeping. That is a parents job.

Anonymous said...

YEAH, MAYBE BUT GREAT AMERICA WILL STILL PAY

Anonymous said...

Miss Mohr was with a Christian group. I can only pray she is now with Jesus.

Anonymous said...

Elizbeth Mohl, R.I.P. The world was a better place because we were granted your presence on this earth.

Anonymous said...

Yolanda Flores, let it go. It is a tragedy. Love and protect your children that remain. God be with you.

Anonymous said...

I just can't understand how either of these deaths were allowed to occur.


Piere

Anonymous said...

This thread was too hard to find. But once I found it, it was worth reading along with the comments.


Joey C.

Anonymous said...

The mom needs to just accept that she made a mistake.

Holly

Anonymous said...

But Miss Mohr had no fault. What a tragedy.

Anonymous said...

R.I.P.

Anonymous said...

Both stories get older, but none the less tragic.

Anonymous said...

One death was definitely preventable. Watch your small children!

Anonymous said...

What is with this rush of amusement ride and park mishaps?


Yolando

Legal Pub said...

Update 12-7-07. Congratulations to Kaitlyn Lasitter. She has taken a big step on the road to recovery as yesterday she took her first steps with a prosthetic limb. God's speed, young lady. Thousands of people are praying for your swift recovery