The operator of a large Colorado theme park has filed for bankruptcy less than a year after being ordered to pay over $205m in a wrongful-death case following the death of a six-year-old girl on a ride.
Wongel Estifanos died on 5 September 2021 after falling 110 feet from the Haunted Mine Drop ride at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The attraction plunges riders down a vertical mine shaft, and the park closed for several days after the incident.
Glenwood Caverns Holdings submitted its Chapter 11 petition on Monday in the US Bankruptcy Court in Delaware. The move follows a jury's finding that the park was partly responsible for the death. Court records revealed the company had only around $5m in liability insurance – far below the judgment issued in November.
An investigation revealed the girl had not been strapped in correctly; two workers operating the ride had not been trained to identify an error related to the seat belts. The park said the ride's manufacturer, Soaring Eagle Incorporated, had supplied a defective restraint system and has since redesigned it.
In a statement, Glenwood Caverns confirmed the bankruptcy filing but said the park will remain open. “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 reorganisation,” the company said.
