“Love your kids, you just don’t know when they’ll be taken,” the father of an 11-year-old boy who died on an Iowa amusement park ride pleaded days after tragedy struck.
David and Sabrina Jaramillo, their three boys, and their niece went on the Raging River ride at Adventureland Park, a family-owned amusement park in Altoona, Iowa, on Saturday when their raft flipped over and they were stuck underneath. Michael, 11, died of the injuries, while David, 15, was transported to the hospital in critical condition.
“I will never get a chance to see him grow up or get a chance to see him graduate,” Sabrina Jaramillo said in a Tuesday interview on Good Morning America, while David Jaramillo said their son was “taken from us.”
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The family was buckled into their seats and embarked on the river rapids ride when their tube flipped, leaving them underwater, still strapped in.
“I see the silhouettes of my sons trying to grab each other, grab us,” the father recalled. “They want us to help them. We couldn’t do it.”
He added, “The river was so intense, it was like a suction.”
There were off-duty officers and fire medics working at the park with security, who all responded to the incident “quickly,” according to a statement from Altoona Police Lt. Alyssa Wilson, a public information officer.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Jaramillo family as they navigate the heartbreaking loss of their child,” Wilson added.
The park posted a statement on Facebook a day later in which they said their “thoughts are with the affected families at this time.”
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They noted that the ride had been inspected the day before the incident and was “found to be in sound working order,” though it’ll “remain closed for a thorough inspection.”
“Adventureland is saddened to learn of the passing of one Guest involved in the Raging River accident on the evening of 7/3/21,” the park said in a second statement. “This investigation is ongoing and the ride remains closed. 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.”
