Important update after 11-year-old boy was killed in front of his horrified family on a theme park ride when the raft capsized

A theme park has issued a major update after an 11-year-old boy was killed on a water raft with his family.

Michael Jaramillo died and his 16-year-old brother David suffered a serious brain injury when their raft overturned on the Raging River at Adventureland Park in Iowa.

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Parents David Snr and Sabrina Jaramillo were traveling with three of their children and niece Mila when the raft capsized in July 2021.

They were pinned underwater after their seat belts buckled.

The adults were able to break free, as were their youngest son Gus and Mila.

The shocking video showed the family screaming as they desperately tried to reach David Jr. and Michael, who were stuck beneath the surface.

Staff and rescue workers freed the boys after they jumped into the water.

The couple were then rushed to the hospital in critical condition, where Michael later died from his injuries.

His older brother was placed in a medically induced coma and is slowly recovering after 18 months but has developed cognitive difficulties.

Adventureland general manager Bill Lentz took over in 2022 after the park was sold to Palace Entertainment following the horrific December 2021 incident.

Mr. Lentz posted a letter on the theme park’s website outlining the completion of a lengthy security clearance.

He wrote: “The decision comes after months of reviewing the ride, working closely with the manufacturer to determine what improvements are needed to meet our operating standards.

“Based on this review, the best way forward is to close Raging River and focus on improving the Adventureland experience elsewhere.”

During the state investigation into the incident, a former amusement park ride manager recounted how he kept the rides running with “duct tape and chewing gum.”

Speaking to Good Morning America after the incident, David Sr., who shattered his shoulder while driving, said, “I see the silhouettes of my sons trying to grab each other, grab us.”

He described how he felt like he was drowning, adding: “The flow was so intense, it was like a suction”.

Sabrina Jaramillo told the GMA audience that Adventureland “robbed me of my baby,” adding, “Love your kids. You just don’t know when they’ll be taken.”

The theme park hasn’t seen the end of its troubles after a 20-year-old worker was killed building a new roller coaster last month.

Zachary Aleksy was helping build the Flying Viking and fell on ice while carrying a steel beam, crushing his chest.

Rescuers were able to revive him at the scene, but he later died in hospital during an operation.

A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Jaramillo family against Adventureland Park is one of several lawsuits filed against the theme park, according to court records.

Records from OSHA in Iowa show that in 2018 an employee working on a roller coaster was struck by a transformer and fell to the ground where he was hit by a test ride.

He was hospitalized with a broken arm and Adventureland settled safety violations by paying $14,500 in 2019.

Meanwhile, 68-year-old Steve Booher was injured in 2016 while helping people ride the Raging River and died of head trauma four days later.

The Jaramillos are seeking unspecified financial compensation for negligence against former owner Adventure Lands of America, as well as ex-CEO Michael Krantz and three executives.

The lawsuit reads, “All acts or omissions of the named officers and managers occurred during their employment with Adventure Land and in the course of their employment.”

It adds that Adventureland failed to ensure that “amusement ride maintenance and repairs were not hastily and cheaply performed in a substandard manner not recommended by a manufacturer…resulting in injury and damage to Adventureland patrons.”

The trial is scheduled for March 11, 2024.

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