An 11-year-old girl’s summer camp experience in Florida took a tragic turn when a camp counselor allegedly ran her over with a boat propeller, causing severe injuries to her leg, according to a lawsuit filed by her parents. The incident occurred at the Coconut Grove Sailing Club in Miami, where the camp was being held.
The young girl, Catherine Viteri, was participating in a swimming activity when the counselor, Myles Carter Holt, 21, reportedly lost track of the number and location of his campers. The lawsuit alleges that Holt, who was operating a 2008 13-foot Ribcraft motorboat, collided with Catherine, causing her leg to be “lacerated to the bone.”
The family’s attorney, Justin Shapiro, described the incident as a “permanent mutilation,” stating that the boat’s propeller nearly amputated Catherine’s leg. The injury resulted in severe damage to her muscles and nerves, leaving her with disfiguring scar tissue and potential lifelong functional issues with her leg.
The lawsuit alleges that Holt was ferrying a group of children towards the swimming activity location when the incident occurred. His alleged lack of attentiveness led to him being unaware of how many children were on the boat and in the water. The complaint states that Holt’s negligence resulted in him running over Catherine with the boat’s propeller, causing “gruesome and life-changing” injuries.
In addition to Holt, the lawsuit also names two other counselors, Aden Weinberg and Sara Ortiz Vey, who were supposed to be supervising the children during the swimming activity. They are accused of failing to provide adequate and reasonable supervision.
The Viteri family is seeking $10 million in damages from Holt and the Coconut Grove Sailing Club. The club has not responded to requests for comment regarding the lawsuit.
Shapiro emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating that the incident was not a case of a random boater unaware of children swimming, but rather a camp counselor who was supposed to be protecting and supervising the children. He added that while there are many dangers in the ocean, a camp counselor should not be one of them.