Kathrine Frich
A Colorado amusement park has entered bankruptcy proceedings following a multimillion-dollar court judgment linked to the death of a six-year-old girl.
The move comes years after the fatal accident that shocked visitors and prompted renewed scrutiny of ride safety.
Wrongful death case
Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park’s parent company, Glenwood Caverns Holdings LLC, filed for Chapter 11 protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.
The filing follows a jury verdict last year awarding more than $116 million in a wrongful death case.
The case stems from the 2021 death of Wongel Estifanos, who fell from the Haunted Mine Drop attraction.
In a statement, the park said: “Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware today following the recent judgment against it stemming from a tragic incident that occurred there in 2021.”
Bankruptcy filing
The company said the restructuring would allow it to keep operating while addressing its financial obligations through a court-supervised process.
“The Chapter 11 process will allow Glenwood Caverns to continue operating while creating a structured, court-supervised process that ensures fairness and transparency as it pursues reorganization,” the statement added.
Under Chapter 11 rules, businesses can remain open while reorganizing debts.
Court documents indicate the company lists assets between $10 million and $50 million, with liabilities ranging from $100 million to $500 million. Its primary funded debt of about $12.7 million is owed to Community Banks of Colorado, a division of NBH Bank.
Fatal accident
State investigators found that Wongel Estifanos was not properly secured on the Haunted Mine Drop ride.
According to ABC 7, operators failed to notice she was sitting on top of her seatbelts rather than being fastened into them.
A second operator reportedly overrode the ride’s seatbelt monitoring system, allowing it to start despite the improper restraint.
Following the jury’s decision, the Haunted Mine Drop was closed and later reopened under a new name, Crystal Tower, with additional safety measures in place.
The park said daily operations and scheduled events would continue uninterrupted during the bankruptcy process.
Sources: The Express, ABC 7,
