SCRANTON - A wrongful death lawsuit alleges a woman riding a Sea-Doo fell into the water and drowned because her hair was caught in the vessel.
Plaintiffs Danny G. Lauer and Patrice A. Mulqueen filed a lawsuit July 3 against Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP) in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, alleging negligence, product liability, breach of implied warranty of merchantability, wrongful death, and survival action.
The case stems from the drowning of their daughter, Lorena Lauer, who died after her hair became entangled in the impeller drive shaft of a Sea-Doo personal watercraft due to alleged design defects.
The incident occurred in July 2022 when Lorena Lauer was riding a Sea-Doo personal watercraft, acting as a spotter to inform a boat's driver when someone riding a tube he or she was pulling had fallen off.
She fell into the water after hitting a wave. Her hair was pulled into the craft's water intake system and became stuff in the impeller drive shaft.
"Ms. Lauer was trapped underwater by her hair being tangle in the impeller drive shaft located inside the grate at the beginning of the water intake system," the suit says.
"Tragically, Ms. Lauer died before bystanders were able to cut her hair and pull her out of the water."
Brian Corcoran of Fellerman & Ciarimboli Law represents the plaintiffs.