11-Year-Old’s Leg ‘Nearly Amputated’ by Boat Propeller, Parents Allege

Their 11-year-old daughter was at summer camp when she almost lost her leg. Now her parents are suing a Miami-based sailing club and three counselors for $10 million. 

On July 10, while she was swimming as part of Coconut Grove Sailing Club’s summer camp, Catherine Viteri’s right leg was lacerated and “nearly amputated” by the propeller of a motorboat owned by the club, her parents allege in a complaint filed in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court.

“I can just hear her screaming in pain,” Catherine’s mother, Michelle Viteri, recalled during an interview with NBC affiliate WTVJ. “It was the single worst moment of my entire life.”

That day, Catherine was among a group of children participating in a swimming activity, according to the complaint.

One of the camp counselors was operating the boat ferrying a group of kids to a swimming activity, but the complaint alleged that the counselor was unaware of how many children were on the boat and in the water.

“Predictably, having no awareness of the number or location of the children…[the defendant] operated the subject vessel directly into Catherine and literally ran her over with the propeller,” the complaint alleged. “The result was gruesome and life-changing. Catherine suffered a laceration to the bone and near amputation of her right leg. Her leg is now permanently mutilated and dysfunctional.”

The complaint accused Coconut Grove Sailing Club and three counselors, including the one who operated the motorboat, of various counts of negligence.

PEOPLE contacted Coconut Grove Sailing Club for comment on the litigation but did not receive a response.

In a statement shared with PEOPLE, Justin Shapiro, an attorney representing Catherine’s parents, said she’s lucky to be alive.

“There is no question she could have died in this incident,” Shapiro said. “The propeller struck her just inches from her femoral artery.  God forbid the propeller hit her in the head or neck. It’s just unimaginable that you drop your child off at this and you put your trust in the camp to protect your child, and it’s the camp that runs her over with a motorboat.”

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Shapiro also wrote that her Catherine leg is “forever compromised,” despite surgeons’ best efforts, and noted the emotional trauma associated with the incident.

“Her parents are helping her through this with the best they can offer, but there is no playbook for this,” the lawyer continued.

The family hopes that in taking legal action, they can help make the waters safer for kids.

“With this lawsuit, our clients are looking for accountability and they’re looking for positive change,” Shapiro added. “They want to see the Coconut Grove Sailing Club make drastic changes to their safety policies and their training programs to make sure this never happens to any other child.”