The mother of a New York teen who was swept out to sea on the Big Island spoke out after filing a wrongful death lawsuit.
Marianne Madoff had a difficult time holding back tears when remembering her 15-year-old son Tyler Madoff.
"Tyler, Tyler was great…he was a crew member, a junior lifeguard,” said Madoff.
Tyler disappeared last month after a wave knocked him into the ocean while on a tour with other teens at Kealakekua Bay.
The boy’s parents are seeking unspecified damages — citing gross negligence from Bold Earth Teen Adventures and local company Hawaii Pack and Paddle.
The family says Tyler‘s group spent the afternoon of July 4th kayaking and went for a hike. According to the lawsuit, the group was led to a dangerous tidepools.
“To lead 12 teenagers to a treacherous, dangerous area, where they should never have been cost Tyler his life,” said Susan Karten, family attorney.
Four tour guides are also named in the suit including one who worked for Bold Earth who allegedly had run-ins with the law.
"Mr. Mork had two traffic violations, and also a violation for disorderly conduct and possession of marijuana. Not the kind of person you would want taking care of your children,” said Karten.
Bold Earth president had no comment on the lawsuit.
Instead he referred us to a statement he made shortly after the incident, placing blame on the local company Hawaii Pack and Paddle.
"HPP‘s lead guide…led our kids and our staff into the area where the waves struck…our group, as paying customres had no reason to believe that they were being led into an area that was potentially unsafe, let alone outside of HPP‘s permit area."
Hawaii Pack and Paddle did not return our calls for comment on the lawsuit.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
