June 20, 2017 - 12:19 AM
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The family of an Ohio woman who died after contracting a brain-eating amoeba has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a North Carolina outdoor recreational park.
The family of 18-year-old Lauren Seitz filed the federal lawsuit Monday in Columbus, Ohio, against the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Seitz died in June 2016 from meningoencephalitis, a disease caused by the amoeba Naegleria fowleri (nuh-GLEER'-ee-uh FOW'-lur-ee). The lawsuit says Seitz contracted the amoeba after she was thrown overboard while whitewater rafting at the park.
The lawsuit claims the centre failed to properly chlorinate the water, failed to regulate the temperature of the water and failed to warn visitors of the possible danger.
The family is seeking punitive damages of more than $1 million.
News from © The Associated Press, 2017