Horrifying video has emerged of the panicked aftermath of a family’s raft flipping over on a Raging River ride at an Iowa water park in an accident that killed an 11-year-old boy and has put his older brother in a coma.
Michael Jaramillo was in the raft with his older brother David, younger brother Gus, father David and mother Sabrina and two others at the Adventureland water park in Altoona, Iowa.
The raft flipped while all of six of them were buckled in. The boys tried to save one another in the fast moving current but couldn’t, their father said on Tuesday.
David’s 16th birthday is on Wednesday and the family were at the park to celebrate. He remains in the hospital in a critical condition.
New video taken by another raft on the ride was obtained by Good Morning America on Wednesday.
This video shows David and Sabrina Jaramillo panicking in the water as their sons, still buckled into their raft (left) drown underwater. David tried to lift the raft but couldn’t because his shoulder was broken in the accident. The video was filmed by another group who sped past them on the Raging River ride at Adventureland in Altoona on Sunday. Michael Jaramillo, 11, died and his older brother David, 16, remains in the hospital
The parents are shown struggling to get back to the raft to flip it back over and save their boys
Michael Jaramillo, 11, died on Saturday after his raft flipped over on the Raging River ride in Altoona, Iowa. Michael’s older brother David, 15, is in a critical condition in the hospital. He has been placed in a medically induced coma
The boys’ parents David and Sabrina told Good Morning America on Tuesday how all of them were ‘trapped’ by seatbelts after their raft capsized
It shows the parents screaming in the water as their sons, still buckled into the raft, drown in the current.
David, the father, tried to flip the raft back over but he couldn’t because he’d broken his shoulder in the accident.
‘When it flipped over, all of us were trapped in seats and seatbelts. I see the silhouettes of my sons trying to grab each other, grab us. They wanted us to help them but we couldn’t do it,’ David, whose arm was in a sling, said in an interview.
‘I am looking around for anyone to help us… you could see the kids little hands… they were trying to reach for us to help them.’
The others on the ride yelled ‘holy s**t, they flipped’ then asked ‘what do we do? what do we do?’
It’s unclear how long it took for help to arrive.
David said everyone except from the two boys were able to get out of their seats but they all struggled against the current.
‘I’m drowning. The river was so intense, it was like a suction,’ David said.
‘I feel like Adventureland robbed me of my baby. I wont ever get a chance to see him grow up,’ the boy’s mother Sabrina sobbed.
Adventureland insists that the ride is safe and that it was inspected the day before the incident. They have now shut the ride down.
A file image of the Raging River ride on the Adventureland website. It simulates strong waves
‘The Raging River ride has been in operation for nearly four decades. It is a safe ride… the ride was inspected by the State of Iowa the day before the incident and was in good working order,’ attorney Guy R. Cook of the Grefe Sidney Law Firm said.
However in 2016, a 68-year-old park worker died trying to get people onto their raft at the same ride.
Steve Booher was helping people get on the ride when the underwater conveyor belt that creates the gushing torrents started moving unexpectedly and pulled him off his feet.
He became wedged between the belt and a wall and his head was crushed against the wall repeatedly before the ride could be turned off.
An autopsy found his cause of death was trauma to the brain.
His wife later sued the park and was awarded an undisclosed settlement.
The ride was allowed to keep operating, despite the tragedy.
In a Facebook post about the most recent accident, the park said on Saturday: ‘The ride had been inspected on 7/2/21 and was found to be in sound working order.
‘It will remain closed for a thorough inspection.
‘Our thoughts are with the affected families at this time.’
The park announced the accident on Facebook, insisting that it was a safe ride and had been checked a day beforehand
The Altoona Police Department is now investigating the incident. The park is referring all inquiries to them.
In a statement, the police department said: ‘Our thoughts and prayers are with the Jaramillo family as they navigate the heartbreaking loss of their child.’
Altoona police officers and firefighters arrived at the scene around 7.30pm Saturday night, and worked with witnesses to try to help free the passengers.
‘Adventureland is saddened to learn of the passing of one guest involved in the Raging River accident on the evening of 7/3/21,’ officials posted on Facebook Sunday night.
‘This investigation is ongoing and the ride remains closed,’ the statement continued.
‘Adventureland is working closely with both the state and local authorities, and would like to thank them again for their efforts.
‘At this time, we ask for your thoughts and prayers for the guest and their family, as well as for our team members who were onsite.’
WORKER DIED ON SAME RIDE IN 2016 AFTER GETTING HEAD TRAPPED UNDERWATER
Steve Booher, 68, died in 2016 while helping people onto the same ride
In 2016, a 68-year-old park worker died trying to get people onto their raft at the same ride.
Steve Booher was helping people get on the ride when the underwater conveyor belt that creates the gushing torrents started moving unexpectedly and pulled him off his feet.
He became wedged between the belt and a wall and his head was crushed against the wall repeatedly before the ride could be turned off.
An autopsy found his cause of death was trauma to the brain.
His wife later sued the park and was awarded an undisclosed settlement.
The ride was allowed to keep operating, despite the tragedy.
In her lawsuit, his widow said the park was negligent in allowing the ride to begin before he was ready.
She said people were screaming for it to be turned off after he was trapped underwater but it wasn’t turned off quickly enough.