Man sues Pennsylvania theme park after contracting eye-eating parasite from 'Raging Rapids' ride
Robert Trostle claims he suffered microspordia infection at Pittsburgh's Kennywood amusement arcade after being splashed by 'dirty, stagnant and sludge-like water'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A man in Pennsylvania says he contracted an eye-eating parasite from an amusement park water ride, and he is suing the park for negligence.
Robert Trostle claims that he contracted the parasite microsporidia in his left eye from being splashed during a ride at Pittsburgh's Kennywood amusement park in early July.
In a complaint filed in Allegheny County civil court on Tuesday, Trostle said his eye became itchy, red, painful and sensitive to light in the days following a 2 July ride on Kennywood's Raging Rapids, which simulates white-water rafting.
He was given antibiotics after being diagnosed with acute conjunctivitis - pinkeye - but his symptoms continued to get worse, his lawsuit claims. He underwent “an extremely painful surgery where the parasite was scraped out of the eye with a surgical scalpel,” after being diagnosed with microsporidia keratitis on 14 July, according to the complaint.
The parasite was “unable to be removed” during surgery, the complaint says, and Trostle continues to suffer from blurry vision, redness, itchiness, dryness, inflammation and pain.
A Kennywood spokesman said the park does not comment on active litigation.
“Safety is the top priority of Kennywood in everything we do, and that certainly extends to maintenance of the rides and water used in rides,” the spokesman, Nick Paradise, said in an emailed statement.
The lawsuit claims that the Raging Rapids ride's water was “dirty, stagnant and sludge-like,” and said that the park failed to adequately regulate, inspect, and filter the water.
Trostle is seeking at least $35,000 of damages in the lawsuit.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), parasitic keratitis is a “rare but serious infection of the eye that can cause permanent vision loss or blindness,” after infecting the cornea, the transparent part of the eye that covers iris and pupil.
Some 85 percent of infections come from people wearing contacts, according to the CDCP.
It can be difficult to treat, according to the CDCP, typically requiring “aggressive medical and surgical treatment.”
The parasite that causes it is common in nature and can be found in tap water, heating, ventilating and air conditioning units, and hot tubs, according to the CDCP.
Still its incidence is relatively low: Studies have estimated its prevalence at 1.2 cases per million adults and as many as two per 10,000 soft contact lens wearers per year.
The number of cases rose dramatically in the 1980s as more people began to use soft contact lenses, non-sterile contact lens solutions and homemade saline tablets, according to studies cited in a 2013 report. Outbreaks have been linked to contaminated water supplies and floods, the report said.
The Washington Post
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments