Justice After the Fall: Colorado Jury Awards $205 Million to Family of 6-Year-Old Who Died on Haunted Mine Drop Ride
A Landmark Verdict After a Heartbreaking Loss
A Colorado jury has delivered one of the largest wrongful death awards in the state’s history—$205 million—to the family of six-year-old Wongel Estifanos, whose tragic death on the Haunted Mine Drop at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park shocked the nation. The verdict, announced Friday in Garfield County District Court, came after a four-year legal battle in which the Estifanos family sought accountability for what they say was a preventable tragedy.
Wongel, a bright and joyful child from Colorado Springs, was visiting the popular mountain theme park with her family over Labor Day weekend in 2021 when the ride designed to thrill instead became fatal. Investigation documents revealed that Wongel was never properly buckled in—she was seated on top of still-buckled restraints left by a previous rider—and that despite a warning alarm sounding, a ride operator overrode the system and initiated the drop. Moments later, Wongel plummeted more than 100 feet into a dark underground shaft, losing her life in an instant.
Unveiling Years of Negligence
During the trial, the family’s attorneys argued that Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park and co-defendant Soaring Eagle Inc. ignored repeated warnings and complaints about unsafe practices on the Haunted Mine Drop. Court filings accused the park of failing to train operators adequately and of neglecting to prepare seatbelts before boarding—a cascade of errors that, according to the family’s lawyers, directly led to the child’s death.
Although prosecutors declined to pursue criminal charges, citing the difficulty of proving manslaughter, the civil case became a stage for uncovering what the Estifanos family called a pattern of disregard for rider safety. Attorney Dan Caplis said in a statement, “For four long years, Glenwood Caverns has denied fault for the death of Wongel… The parents took this case to trial to prove what really happened and to try to save others.”
A Ride Closed, A Warning Echoing
The Haunted Mine Drop, the first of its kind to plunge riders underground, was permanently closed after Wongel’s death. Once marketed as a thrilling freefall into a ghostly mine, the ride has now become a symbol of what can go wrong when safety protocols are bypassed. Glenwood Caverns’ marketing director, Kimberly Marcum, expressed condolences while pointing blame at the manufacturer, stating that Soaring Eagle Inc. had “manufactured the Haunted Mine Drop with a defective restraint system” but certified it as safe.
As the park “explores all options” in the wake of the verdict, the Estifanos family leaves the courthouse with a bittersweet sense of justice. Their attorneys say they are grateful to the people of Garfield County for their kindness during the trial. But beyond the staggering monetary award, Wongel’s parents hope their loss sparks industry-wide reform—a sobering reminder that thrill rides must never come at the expense of human life.
