Cassidy Murray.Photo: Go Fund Me
The parents of a 13-year-old Massachusetts student whodied last year in a tragic boating accidentare working to educate others about waterfront safety.
“I open Facebook, and I see posts from neighbors and friends and family saying, ‘We’re heading to Aruba for spring break,’ or ‘We’re thinking about Aruba,’ and our hearts just break right away because we didn’t know the dangers,” Linda Murray, whose daughter Cassidy Murray died during a family trip to Aruba in March 2022,toldThe Patriot Ledger. “We weren’t aware.”
Cassidy’s death occurred during a tube ride atFun 4 Every 1 Watersports Arubawith her father, Dave Murray, according to ABC News.
In his recollection of the incident during a recentsit-down interview with the outlet, he stated that his daughter fell into the water five minutes into the ride, and she was wearing a life jacket.
“I waved at her. She was safe,” he added.
As he and the boat driver got close to her direction, he claimed that the boat driver lost control, “pulled it in full throttle” and hit Cassidy.
“The gentleman driving the boat, he had no first aid,” he continued. “If there was a second person on the boat, even if there was a spotter, he would have seen we would have had an option to slow it down or he would have seen as soon as Cassidy was ejected.”
A representative for the water sports adventure company did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Adescription for the tubing experiencefound on their website states that the experience lasts for 15 minutes and that “the captain will listen to your requests” as you “fly, bounce, scream and have a blast while being pulled behind your boat in Aruba.”
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After the prosecutor’s office in Aruba found that there were wasno criminal offensein Cassidy’s death," according to ABC News, Dave and Linda tell the outlet that they are working to enact change and have taken Cassidy’s case to the prime minister of Aruba and the country’s tourism board.
“My hope is that someone is standing at the edge of the beach and about to step on a boat and says, ‘Wait, I remember that interview. Wait, remember what that family said? Maybe we should check for this. Maybe we should ask this question,’ " added Linda.
source: people.com
