A federal jury spent six days weighing whether a Florida Keys parasail captain should be held criminally responsible for a woman’s death, then ended without a verdict. The deadlock means Daniel Gavin Couch’s case is not over: A judge declared a mistrial, and prosecutors can try again.
The mistrial was declared Monday after jurors failed to reach a unanimous decision in Couch’s federal trial, according to Local 10. The jury was dismissed, and no new trial date has been announced.
Couch was charged in connection with the death of Supraja Alaparthi, a 33-year-old Schaumburg, Illinois, woman who was parasailing with her then-10-year-old son and 7-year-old nephew on May 30, 2022. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida said the federal indictment accused Couch of misconduct, negligence or inattention to his duties as captain.
How The 2022 Parasailing Trip Turned Deadly
The incident unfolded near the Old Seven Mile Bridge after a sudden shift in the weather caused the parasail to “peg,” meaning it filled with wind like a sail and threatened to pull the boat off course. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission account cited by Local 10, Couch cut the line tethering Alaparthi and the two children to the boat.
The three victims were then dragged through the water by the inflated parasail before colliding with the bridge, investigators said. Alaparthi died, while the two children survived; Couch was working for Marathon-based Lighthouse Parasail, and the trip had departed from Captain Pip’s Marina & Hideaway.
Federal Case Faced A Last-Minute Legal Fight
The prosecution had already taken a complicated turn before the jury was seated. Keys Weekly reported that prosecutors sought to add a voluntary manslaughter count to the original federal seaman’s manslaughter case, while the defense argued the new theory did not fit the facts and came too late.
The federal indictment announced in 2025 carried a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison if Couch were convicted. Hoodline previously reported that the case was built around allegations that Couch failed in his responsibilities as captain, though the charges remain allegations and Couch is presumed innocent.
What The Hung Jury Means For The Case
A mistrial is not an acquittal, and it does not resolve whether Couch is legally responsible for Alaparthi’s death. Prosecutors now have the opportunity to seek a new trial, while the defense can continue challenging the charges and the government’s account of the captain’s decisions that day.
For Alaparthi’s family, the deadlock leaves a four-year-old case without a final criminal verdict. The next major development will be whether federal prosecutors formally pursue a retrial and, if so, whether the court sets a new date.
