Theme park ordered to pay family nine-figure amount after girl, 6, plunged 10 stories to her death on Haunted Mine Drop

A stricken family has been awarded $205 million after their six year-old daughter plunged 10 stories to her death on a theme park’s Haunted Mine Drop ride.

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Colorado was found liable for the enormous payout by a jury on Friday, after the September 2021 death of Wongel Estifanos.

The little girl was visiting Glenwood Caverns with her family and rode the Haunted Mine Drop – but her seat belt was not buckled or checked by staff.

Estifanos was tossed from the ride – which sees passengers sit in a row and suddenly drop at high speed – shortly after it began and died of her injuries.

It was later discovered Estifanos sat on top of a seat belt buckled by a previous rider.

A warning went off, but a Glenwood Caverns worker ignored it and reset the alarm before starting Estifanos’s final ride.

Estifanos’s parents Dagne and Rahel successfully sued Glenwood Caverns for the wrongful death of their daughter, with jurors agreeing the little girl had been killed by the park’s negligence.

Glenwood Caverns says it may have to shut down if it is forced to pay out the full amount ordered by jurors, putting hundreds of jobs at risk.

Six-year-old Wongel Estifanos died after not being strapped adequately into a ride at the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

The Estifanos family was awarded $205million after winning a lawsuit over the tragic death

Spokesperson Kimberly Marcum told The Denver Post: ‘While the jury allocated significant fault on the other defendant, Soaring Eagle, Inc., the size of the total jury verdict award puts the existence of Glenwood Caverns at serious risk.’

Marcum added that the hundreds of jobs the Glenwood Caverns provides to locals would be lost and further explained that Soaring Eagle, the engineer of the ride, was at fault:

‘Soaring Eagle manufactured the Haunted Mine Drop with a defective restraint system that caused this heartbreaking accident. Soaring Eagle certified to Glenwood Caverns that the ride met all applicable standards, but that was not true.’

After the incident, the park worked with independent architects to prevent further accidents, Marcum told the outlet.

Attorney Dan Caplis represented the family and issued a statement on Saturday morning:

‘Wongel’s parents are deeply grateful to the jury for following the evidence to a just verdict, and for recognizing the dignity and importance of their daughter Wongel.’

‘Wongel’s parents are grateful to the court for ensuring a fair trial for both sides, and to the entire courthouse staff for the very humane and professional way they operate.’

Prosecutors did not pursue criminal charges and the Estifanos filed for a wrongful death case instead

An investigation by the state found that the operators ignored a safety alarm and started the ride anyway

The Haunted Mine Drop has now been revamped as the Crystal Tower, which opened in 2022, featuring an entirely new theme that takes guests on a ride through a crystal-filled cave

Prosecutors did not pursue criminal charges against Glenwood Caverns because of fears they’d have struggled to prove manslaughter.

The Estifanos filed for a wrongful death case instead, and the case was transferred from Denver to the Garfield County District Court, according to the outlet.

The Haunted Mine ride was closed following the little girl’s death.

Riders would sit together on a bench-like seat, where a staff member was supposed to strap them in before the ride began and the lights went dark.

A ghost-like creature would send the riders down the shaft in complete darkness as they free-fall from virtually out of nowhere.

The ride ended with lanterns glowing on the walls as the ride returns to its original starting point, before an operator helps riders exit the attraction.

The Haunted Mine Drop has now been revamped as the Crystal Tower, which opened in 2023, featuring an entirely new theme that takes guests on a ride through a crystal-filled cave.

The ride now features a cage around the area where the guests sit. The park advertises it as a completely new attraction, without mentioning the old ride.