$10M Suit To Be Filed In Amoeba Death
The father of a 14-year-old boy who died in June from a waterborne illness will file a $10 million lawsuit against the owners of an Orlando apartment complex where he said his son contracted an amoeba while rescuing a girl in a swimming pool.
Adalberto Arroyo-Ramos, the father of Angel Arroyo-Vasquez, will file the lawsuit in the Circuit Court of the 9th Judicial Circuit in Orange County, FLORIDA TODAY news partner WKMG Local 6 reported.
The defendants named in the complaint are: MPI Brentwood Orlando, LLC., a foreign limited liability corporation, and WRH-AEW V Royal Grande, LLC., a foreign limited liability corporation.
According to the lawsuit, on or about June 5, the boy was at the Royal Grande Apartments at 1989 Americana Blvd. in Orlando, at about 3 p.m. when he heard a woman screaming that her daughter was drowning. The boy jumped into the pool and rescued the girl, according to his father.
But as a result of swimming in the pool, the boy was invaded by a deadly amoeba, known as Naegleria Fowerli, the lawsuit stated.
The amoeba entered his body from the pool water, through his nasal cavity, and embedded into his brain, causing him to die three days later, the family said.
The complaint alleges that the apartment complex was negligent of properly maintaining its pool.
Watersports complex sued
Meanwhile, the family of another boy who died from an infection caused by an amoeba is suing the Orlando Watersports Complex.
Richard Almeida, 10, died earlier this month days after he went to the Orlando Watersports Complex to ski.
“They absolutely are responsible,” family attorney Julio Martinez said. “I mean, they didn’t close the place, they didn’t treat the water, they didn’t post any warnings and they didn’t even advise people of precautions they should take.”
Martinez said the complex knew that the deadly parasite thrived in warm waters and did nothing to warn its customers.
Complex officials said they have done nothing wrong and said the boy swam in other lakes as well.
They said it is impossible that he contracted the infection at the Orlando Watersports Complex.
“It is a little sad that just fingers are being pointed at other people,” Orlando Watersports Complex representative Rene Hofmann said. “We do have test results from our lake which clearly states that we have really clean drinking, bathing and swimming water quality.”
Boy dies from amoebic encephalitis
In August, Will Sellars, 11, died after contracting amoebic encephalitis, or acute swelling of the brain.
Health officials said that there is an increased risk of infection by the organism in all freshwater areas throughout Florida, especially during summer months when the water temperature exceeds 80 degrees.
Water sports or activities such as wakeboarding, water skiing, swimming or diving puts people at a greater risk, officials said.