Colorado adventure park files for bankruptcy 5 years after death of 6-year-old

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in western Colorado has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to court records filed Monday in Delaware.

The filing comes months after a judge ordered the company to pay more than $116 million for its role in the 2021 death of 6-year-old Wongel Estifanos.

Wongel died after falling from the Haunted Mine Drop ride in the fall of 2021 at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. Her family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the park, two ride operators, and the ride's manufacturer.

A state investigation found the accident resulted from multiple operator errors, including failing to ensure the child was properly restrained. One operator did not prepare the seat belts before allowing Wongel and other passengers to sit down. She was seated on top of still-locked seat belts in a previously unoccupied seat.

The lawsuit also alleged that multiple customers had previously notified the park about operators not properly securing passengers and that Glenwood Caverns failed to turn over all customer complaints about the ride.

In its bankruptcy filing, the park said it is one of the largest employers in the area, employing about 250 full- and part-time workers during peak summer months.

After publication of this story, the company responded to a request for comment, saying filing for bankruptcy is the right thing to do.

"We recognize the unimaginable loss of the Estifanos family. Our decision to pursue Chapter 11 is the most responsible path to stabilize the business, preserve operations and maintain the value for the benefit of all parties," the company's public relations department said in a statement. "Our priority is to honor our obligations with integrity; maintain stability for our guests, employees and partners; and ensure the business remains strong to support the community we love."

The company said that the park will continue to operate as usual, with no changes to operations or scheduled events.

An attorney representing the family of Estifanos said the move signals an attempt to skirt responsibility following the court's judgment.

Wongel's parents believe this bankruptcy filing is just another maneuver by the out of state company that owns Caverns to avoid responsibility for the felonious killing of Wongel. Wongel's parents will continue to do everything in their power to make Caverns implement key safety changes," the attorney, Dan Caplis, said in a statement on Wednesday. "Since Glenwood Caverns Holdings has chosen to file for bankruptcy, Wongel's parents are hopeful that a better and safer version of the amusement park will emerge from bankruptcy."