The tragic accident occurred late this summer. Cynthia Woodcock, of Kernersville, and Lorrie Shoup went parasailing on Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina (NC). While the two were in the air a large wind gust blew up, tethering the line between the parasail and the boat. The wind forced the women back into the ocean where they were drug towards the pier.
Sadly, both Cynthia Woodcock and Lorrie Shoup died from a blunt force trauma caused by the parasailing accident. Neither the Coast Guard nor the North Carolina Department of Labor regulates parasailing operators but an investigation was opened by the Coast Guard to determine if it was safe for the parasail to go out in to the water given the choppy conditions at the time.
A lawsuit was opened against Ocean Isle Beach Water Sports, Inc. and N.C. Watersports, Inc., the two companies that owned and ran the parasail boat at the time of the women’s deaths. Earlier this week the two companies went before a judge asking to be removed from the liability in the death of Woodcock and Shoup, or that the liability limit to be lowered to $100,000.
The request may be denied if it can be proven that either company knew about potentially dangerous factors leading up to the accident.
Even without state or federal regulation, companies can still be held at fault in accident and death cases involving extreme sports such as parasailing. If you or someone you know was injured or killed while practicing an extreme sport a personal injury attorney can help you determine if the company was at fault. These sports can be dangerous, especially on the water, and companies have an obligation to only operate in good weather conditions as well as to operate as safely as possible.
About the Editors: The Shapiro & Appleton law firm focuses on injury and accident law and we have experience handling wrongful death cases. Our case results speak for themselves. We have offices in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC) and Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys have handled numerous wrongful death cases and we understand the difficult circumstances which accompany these types of cases. That’s why you need an experienced attorney to help you through the legal process. Our lawyers hold licenses in NC, VA, SC, WV, KY and DC. We provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at (833) 997-1774. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Our lawyers proudly edit the Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard, as well as the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.