11-year-old’s leg ‘almost amputated’ by boat propeller, parents claim

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 advisers for $10 million.

On July 10, while swimming as part of the Coconut Grove Sailing Club’s summer camp, Catherine Viteri’s right leg was torn off and “almost amputated” by the propeller of a motorboat owned by the club, her parents claim 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 the 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 drove the boat that ferried a group of children 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) drove the vessel in question directly into Catherine and literally ran her over with the propeller,” the complaint alleged. “The result was horrific and life-changing. Catherine suffered a laceration to her leg and almost had her right leg amputated. Her leg is now permanently mutilated and dysfunctional.”

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

PEOPLE reached out to the 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 is lucky to be alive.

“There is no question that she could have died in this incident,” Shapiro said. “The propeller hit her just inches from her femoral artery. God forbid the propeller hit her in the head or the neck. It’s just unthinkable 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 speedboat.”

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

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

The family hopes that by taking legal action they can help make the water safer for children.

“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 training programs to make sure this never happens to another child.”