$1.5 Million For Drowning Deaths Of 5 And 8 Year Old Siblings

Wrongful Death

Siblings, 5 and 8 years old, drowned at the Sleightburgh Park in the Town of Esopus, Ulster County, New York, while walking across a causeway between an island and the public park. Rapidly changing tidal movements made the causeway dry and passable at low tide, but covered with water traveling at a high velocity at high tide. A warning sign that read, “Warning: Causeway not passable at high tide” was blocked by weeds and vegetation.

The children, ages 5, 6, 8 and 10 went to the Sleightsburgh Park for picnic with their 47 year old babysitter and crossed the causeway at low tide. After a picnic lunch on the island, the children and their babysitter attempted to cross the causeway at high tide with a strong current. Two children and their babysitter drowned by crossing the causeway while the 10 and 6 year old survived.

The surviving children recovered $1,500,000 from th e Town of Esopus and Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation for the psychological anguish of witnessing the drowning deaths of their siblings and babysitter.

$1,500,000