Colorado jury awards $205 million after young girl killed on theme park ride

A Colorado jury has ordered a local theme park and others to pay $205 million to the family of a 6-year-old girl who fell more than 100 feet to her death from a ride.

The verdict, issued Friday at Garfield County District Court, is among the largest wrongful death awards for a single plaintiff in state history.

Wongel Estifanos, from Colorado Springs, was visiting Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park with her family over Labor Day weekend in 2021 when tragedy struck on the Haunted Mine Drop.

Investigation paperwork reviewed by Fox News Digital shows Estifanos was not buckled into her seat properly before the ride started.

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Instead, she was seated on top of still-buckled restraints that had been left by a previous rider. Even though a warning alarm sounded, an operator overrode the system and started the ride, according to the documents.

The Haunted Mine Drop, which was the first drop ride of its kind to plunge riders underground, dropped passengers 110 feet into a darkened shaft. Riders used to sit together on a bench-like seat in a dim chamber. 

After being secured with seat belts, the lights would go out and the attraction would simulate a ghostly presence sending them plummeting downward in total darkness. 

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The freefall ended with glowing lanterns illuminating the mine walls before riders were brought back to the loading platform.

Following the 2021 incident, the Haunted Mine Drop was permanently closed. 

“For four long years, Glenwood Caverns has denied fault for the death of Wongel, who was dropped ten stories to her death from a ride. Wongel’s parents took this case to trial to prove what really happened and to try to save others,” Caplis added.

According to court documents, the family’s 2022 lawsuit alleged not only operator negligence, but also that Glenwood Caverns ignored repeated customer complaints about unsafe practices on the ride.

Investigators also concluded that multiple staff errors led to Estifanos’ death, including failing to prepare the seat belts before boarding began.

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Glenwood Caverns marketing director Kimberly Marcum said in a statement that co-defendant Soaring Eagle Inc. had “manufactured the Haunted Mine Drop with a defective restraint system that caused this heartbreaking accident.”

Marcum also indicated the manufacturer had certified the attraction as safe despite a defective restraint system. 

“Our hearts go out to the family of Wongel Estifanos,” Marcum said, while stating Glenwood Caverns was “exploring all options so that we can attempt to continue to operate, serve our guests, and continue to give back to the community.”

Prosecutors declined to pursue criminal charges against Glenwood Caverns, citing challenges in proving manslaughter, but the civil trial gave Estifanos’ family its day in court.

“They are grateful to the people of Garfield County for being so kind to them during this long trial,” added Caplis in his statement.

Fox News Digital also contacted Soaring Eagle Inc for comment, but did not hear back.