Glenwood Springs, Colorado — The family of a six-year-old girl who tragically died after falling from an amusement park ride in 2021 was awarded $205 million by a jury earlier this month. This decision comes as part of a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Wongel Estifanos four years ago.
Wongel fell to her death on September 5, 2021, while visiting Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park with her relatives. According to the lawsuit, her uncle had accompanied Wongel, along with two of his children and another family member, on the Haunted Mine Drop ride. After the ride concluded, her uncle was horrified to discover that Wongel was not in her seat and found her body at the bottom of the mine shaft.
The complaint revealed that Wongel suffered severe injuries, including multiple fractures and brain trauma. Investigators reported that she had been sitting atop both of her seat belts rather than being properly secured by them. A state investigation indicated that an alarm intended to warn ride operators of any issues had been triggered, yet operators made several erroneous decisions and reset the seatbelt monitors, which allowed the ride to proceed.
Without a secure harness, Wongel was unable to remain in her seat during the ride’s 110-foot drop. The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment noted that the incident was attributed to multiple operator errors and violations of amusement ride regulations in the state. Enforcement actions are anticipated.
In the jury’s ruling, the Estifanos family was awarded $82 million in non-economic damages and $123 million in punitive damages against the defendants named in the case, which include Glenwood Caverns Holdings and Soaring Eagle, the ride’s designer. This verdict was issued on September 19.
In a statement, Glenwood Caverns expressed condolences to Wongel’s family, acknowledging the profound impact of the tragic accident. The park stressed that the jury’s decision poses significant financial challenges that could jeopardize local jobs. Glenwood Caverns pointed to Soaring Eagle’s alleged responsibility, asserting that the ride was manufactured with faulty restraints.
Representatives from the park claimed that Soaring Eagle had assured them that the ride met all safety standards, which they contend was false. They also allege that the design flaws had previously led to ejections from the ride, a fact they claim was concealed by the manufacturer.
Wongel’s family’s attorney, Dan Caplis, emphasized the importance of the jury’s decision, stating that the goal of punitive damages is to promote safety and prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future. He expressed gratitude on behalf of Wongel’s parents for the jury’s ability to hold the corporations accountable for their failures.
The incident’s aftermath has led Glenwood Caverns to collaborate with independent engineers to redesign the ride, improving its safety features in an effort to prevent further accidents.
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