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Death Trap (Air Date: March 15, 2005)
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| Sean O'Shea & Ivan Langrish |
| Global Defenders |
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
He's was their parents' pride; a top athlete; an 11-year-old with a bright future.
But for Adam Vitaterna, that future came to a sudden end beneath this waterfall in the Dominican Republic in January.
Andrew Vitaterna, Son Died at Waterfall
"I'd say he was under there for a good 10 to 15 minutes before they finally decided to do something."
As the Global Defenders reported in February, Vitaterna drowned after being caught in an undercurrent beneath the Damajagua
waterfalls - a popular Dominican tourist attraction.
The trip to the falls followed a sightseeing trip through the rural countryside.
The bus ride proved safe compared to the treacherous trek to the waterfalls. It included traversing a swift flowing muddy
river and a series of precarious climbs up rock walls - all without any safety equipment.
The Vitaterna family had asked the local tour operator in advance if the trip was safe. They were assured it was. But as
we found out after our report aired, Vitaterna's death was not an isolated incident. In fact, we heard from many other Canadian
travelers who learned first hand how about the dangers of the watefall trip.
Ferretti:
"When I saw the special on TV, I was floored."
Jacqueline Ferretti and her family were on the Dominican trip more than a year ago.
When they got off the bus and started climbing and swimming, she immediately had her doubts.
Ferretti:
"Deep in my heart I knew there was something not right about it, something dangerous."
A feeling that was confirmed when Ferretti's mother got into trouble.
Ferretti:
"She disappeared under the surface of the water, and I had no idea where she was. I was really scared. Luckily, she did
come up."
Chris May, Took Tour Last December:
"I felt numb after I saw the story, I was in the exact same place under those waterfalls."
Chris May took the Dominican waterfall tour with his girlfriend this past December.
May:
"I went under, I was doing everything I could to get up to the top."
But May, a strong swimmer, was powerless.
May:
"And as a last-ditch effort, I held up my arm to what was I thought was up."
One of the waterfall tour guides saw the arm and pulled May to safety. Then, he told May he had had enough - and shared
some shocking information.
May:
"He told me that a woman had died in the day before in the same spot. If I know of two people who have died in the same
remote spot in the Dominican Republic, how may people have died? I don't know."
Ferretti:
"They should be warned of the dangers of it, that there are risks involved, that you're putting your life in their hands."
Some Canadians and others who live in the Dominican Republic are behind an effort to have warning signs placed near the
falls, alerting tourists about the risks of serious injury or death. Many travel agents who saw our original story have put
the word out to clients not to take the tour to the falls. A tour that may appear safe but is clearly not.
| Security rules in Damajaguas Falls in Imbert, Puerto Plata |
| By admin |
| Sunday, 06-February-2005, 07:34:53 |
114 clicks |
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| After sad event happened on the first week of January 2005, where Adam Vitaterna, 11yo, died after
jumping off a small waterfall, the tourism secretary impose no security rules for everybody. | |
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Imbert, Puerto Plata - The sub secretary of Tourism, César Jose de los Santos, implanted new measures of security in Damajaguas
falls in Imbert, where every day there come tourists of the whole region. Mr. Santos accompanied of the general of Tourism
Police, Martínez Lorenzo, they implanted the measure and informed all Tours Operators that realize walks for this place that
they will must provide lifeguard and crash helmet at every visitor that there exist.
César Jose said that the measure
has been taken to guarantee that this tourist point continues to attract visitors and this measure has taken unifying all
the sectors that work in Damajaguas, as guides, drivers, tours operators and the own community. The sub secretary of Tourism
affirmed that it is continued working for the improvement of the tourist destination of the north zone and in favor of that
all the classes that work in the sector are unified.
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The Record Pubdate:January 22, 2005
Resort
holiday ends in tragedy;
Kitchener woman risks her life trying to rescue boy
Byline/Source: CHERRI GREENO
RECORD STAFF Krista-Maria Wall doesn't consider herself an angel. Neither, she says, would she ever think herself a hero.
Others, however, would disagree -- including the parents of 11-year-old Adam Vitaterna, the boy she risked her life trying
to rescue during a trip to the Dominican Republic earlier this month. "I just think I did it because I had to," the 20-year-old
Kitchener resident said. Wall dove into fast-moving water during a Jeep safari tour in a futile attempt to save Adam.
The
Niagara Falls boy, who was vacationing with his family at the time, failed to resurface after sliding down a ledge at a waterfall
to swim while on the day-long tour. The incident is the latest blow to the tourist industry in the Dominican Republic, a country
plagued recently with a malaria outbreak and reports of travellers becoming sick at resorts in Punta Cana and Puerto Plata.
Some travel agents are reporting a slight decrease in the number of travellers to the country, a popular vacation destination.
For the Vitaterna family, the Dominican trip was their first family vacation in about three years. A few days after
they arrived, on Jan. 5, they decided to take a $35 US tour offered through Alegria Tours. It included a day-long trip to
coffee plantations, souvenir shops and the popular waterfalls. Wall and the Vitaterna family met for the first time on the
tour. To get to the waterfall, they had to trek through the jungle and hold onto a rope as they waded through a river. At
the falls, they were supposed to slide down a ledge into the water. When Adam did it, he didn't come back up. "He went by
me and he had the biggest smile on his face and then all of a sudden . . . he went under," said Adam's father, Andrew Vitaterna.
The frantic father started yelling at the tour guides but said "they weren't responding to me at all." Instead, they
began arguing amongst themselves. Several of them, Wall said, just took off, including the cameraman who was taping the tour
in the hopes of selling copies to tourists. Frustrated at the lack of help, Wall tied a rope around her waist and told two
other men to hold it for her. "I dove in. I grabbed his (Adam's) hand but I didn't have the strength to pull him out," she
said. That's when the three Dominican tour guides who were left dove under and grabbed Adam's body. Wall held the boy's head
and his hand as a doctor from France and a female lifeguard did cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
They couldn't, however,
bring him back to life. They frantically carried Adam back through the jungle and waited for an ambulance to arrive. Although
his parents already knew their son was gone, Adam was taken to hospital -- about an hour after going under -- and formally
declared dead. When contacted in Puerto Plata by The Record, a man who claimed to be the driver of the safari said the water
was very deep on the day Adam drowned. He referred other questions to his boss, who could not be reached for comment.
At
the Dominican Republic hospital, Vitaterna was greeted by the tour guide lawyer, who took him to what Vitaterna believes was
a police station to give a statement. He was taken through a back door, down a dark hallway and into a small office lit by
two candles. "I was thinking, 'Where the hell am I?' " he said. He gave a statement and a few days later was given a copy
of the police report. "It said (Adam) died while swimming with his father." While his parents dealt with the police, Wall
and her parents spent time with the Vitaterna's two other children.
As they tried to deal with their shock and grief,
what Wall and Adam's family saw the next day was almost too much to handle. "They were doing the same tour," Wall said, noting
that a boy about six-years-old was waiting in line. "It was like nothing ever happened," she said. Vitaterna approached families,
telling them what had happened to his son and discouraging them from going on the tour. Before they left -- it took five days
for Adam's body to be shipped back to Canada -- Vitaterna and Wall requested a copy of the tour tape. The trip to the waterfalls
was cut out, Wall said. Back in Canada, the families are spreading word of the tragedy in the hopes of saving a life. Vitaterna
has even posted warnings on travel websites. He's still deciding whether to take legal action.
Although his son didn't
survive, Vitaterna and his wife, Marilena, say what Wall did was "unbelievable." "We just admire her a lot," Vitaterna said.
"She was risking (her life) for someone she didn't even know." They call her their angel and consider her part of their family
now. "She did more than anyone would do," he said. "She was amazing." Wall said she simply did what she had to do. "They (the
Dominican tour guides) were standing around arguing and time was running out," she said. "We had to find this little boy.
"If I had to do it again, I would." The Vitaternas have set up a fund in Adam's name to help children who can't afford to
play sports. Anyone wishing to donate can send money to Andrew and Marilena Vitaterna, c/o Patterson Funeral Home, 6062 Main
St. Niagara Falls, Ont., L26 5Z9.
Cherri Greeno
Reporter, The Record
160 King St. E
Kitchener, Ont.
N2G
4E5
(519)894-2231 ext. 2653
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This is from the London Free Press. .The water Adam drowned in was very deep, not
waist high as indicated in the report..
2005-01-12 published
Boy drowns on jungle tour
The tour operators
next day were taking more children on the same 'safe' tour.
By Kelly PEDRO, Free Press Reporter
A Niagara
falls boy with London family ties drowned on a family vacation in the Dominican Republic last week after being pulled underwater
by a strong current during a countryside tour. Adam VITATERNA, 11, died after jumping off a small waterfall last Wednesday
while on a countryside tour with two siblings and his parents, who looked on in horror.
The family had been vacationing
at a resort in Puerto Plata.
VITATERNA, whose funeral is today, has maternal grandparents and other relatives in London.
Krista WALL, who was on the tour with the family and about 10 other people, jumped in the water to try to save VITATERNA,
coming achingly close.
"I touched him, but I wasn't able to pull him up," said the Waterloo-area woman.
A doctor in
the group performed cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, but couldn't revive the boy.
"We had to carry his body through
the jungle back to where the vans were and call the ambulance," said WALL.
The safari tour last Wednesday gave tourists
a chance to see the countryside and concluded with the waterfalls.
Tourists held onto a rope as they waded through the
water to jump off a series of ledges. It looked safe enough, but Andrew VITATERNA, the boy's father, later discovered it had
recently rained, making the currents more powerful.
He said he watched helplessly as his son, who was a strong swimmer,
was pulled under the waist-high water.
He screamed at the tour guides to help, but they seemed to be arguing among themselves.
It took nearly an hour before the boy's body was taken to a hospital. It was too late.
"It felt like hours," VITATERNA
said.
He and his wife are still looking for answers and warning tourists about the perils of vacationing in Third World
countries.
"We worry about whether we go to a three-star resort or a four-star, a five-star," he said. "Little do
we know what's outside the walls of the resort. You're playing with fire."
Almost as terrible as the boy's death was
the fact that the next day the tour operator, Allegria S.A. Tours, was booking children on the same tour, said WALL.
"They
said it was safe for the children and not to worry," she said.
Allegria S.A. Tours could not be reached for comment.
WALL
returned to Canada on the same flight as the family Monday.
She said she didn't know them before the vacation, but
they have since become close.
In his death notice, VITATERNA was described as a cherished young boy who loved soccer,
hockey and his guinea pig Sammie.
"He had an adventurous spirit, a loving soul and he touched the hearts of all he
met. God now has a new angel in heaven," the notice said.
From Niagara This Week Paper
Family of drowned boy fighting for others
Robert Lapensee
Apr 19, 2006 NIAGARA
FALLS -- The first week of 2005 was supposed to be about relaxation and family bonding in "paradise" for Andrew Vitaterna's
family before life moved into the fast lane.
With his wife Marilena starting teacher's college and two of his three children selected for travel soccer
teams, Vitaterna thought it was the best chance to get away for one last major vacation for several years to come.
It was Christmas Day, 2004 when Vitaterna decided it was time to bring his wife and his three children --
Nicholas, Livia and Adam -- on vacation. He booked a week-long, last-minute getaway to the Jack Tar Village in Puerto Plata,
Dominican Republic, where he and his wife had their honeymoon 16 years earlier.
He didn't ever think his family would not be the same when they returned. But it was during the trip on Jan.
5, when Adam, 11, drowned while on a tour of a cluster of waterfalls. Adam, who Vitaterna said was a strong swimmer, was sucked
beneath the water by strong currents while his family watched in horror and the tour operators argued about what to do. Adam's
body was recovered about 15 minutes later with the help of a 20-year-old woman from Kitchener.
Life has been as good as it could be over the last year and four months, said Vitaterna. Christmas, New Year's,
Adam's birthday on Aug. 5 have all been hard days in the wake of the young boy's tragic death.
"All the firsts of everything are very hard," said Vitaterna.
"When you see his friends growing up, that is the hardest part."
The Vitaternas decided to take a positive road within days of Adam's death instead of falling into all-consuming
depression. They began warning people on their resort at the Dominican Republic locale of the dangerous waterfalls tour and
began putting together a memorial fund for their son.
They've also appeared in news stories about tragedy while on vacation. The Vitaternas' story is going to be
featured on the Montel Williams Show, a CBS daytime talk show, in an episode about vacations turned tragic to be aired in
May. The episode was taped in New York City March 30.
"I sort of hesitated at first...I didn't want it played up for TV," said Vitaterna, adding the opportunity
to appear on the show arose after he e-mailed a woman about two weeks after the family returned from the trip. The woman was
on the show talking about a child she lost while on vacation. "But if we can help save lives, then it is worth doing."
The family also started its Adam Vitaterna Memorial Fund supporting local youngsters getting into athletics.
Vitaterna said the fund has spent about $10,000 since September 2005 outfitting boys and girls in equipment for hockey and
soccer and picking up registration fees.
"We feel Adam is very happy about this," said Vitaterna, adding Adam was very active in sports.
Vitaterna is also very active as an advocate for safety while on these types of vacations. He said he's heard
life jackets now need to be worn on the waterfalls tour and other changes have been made by Canadian tour operators to make
vacationers aware of the dangers.
"I think we've made an impact on that particular tour, but it's still kind of hidden," he said: beach vendors
selling the tour still promote how safe it is with no mention of the fatality.
"They are a poor country. Money is the bottom line."
Vitaterna is adamant anyone going on vacation not let their guard down or to put their faith in the words
of locals.
"You step off the resort and there are no safety standards," he said. "You've got to be very careful. The
people there, they drive like maniacs. The police are corrupt. It's not as safe as it seems."
Vitaterna suggests anyone planning a vacation should talk to people who have been there about what they liked,
what they didn't like, what they did and what they would recommend.
"I wouldn't trust the locals," he said. "The best advice would come from someone who wouldn't benefit from
it."
The Vitaternas have spent the year healing and adjusting to life with a smaller family. Vitaterna credits
the positive work the family is doing as well as a support team filled with friends, family and friends and former classmates
of Adam with helping them through the grieving process. Vitaterna said not a day goes by he doesn't think of his young son.
"The positive spin has kept us occupied," he said.
"Sometimes you get your ups and downs but it has been a real team effort. Everyone is behind us. Everybody
is supportive."
The Vitaternas have a web site celebrating Adam's life. The address is www.adamvitaterna.com. Everyone is
welcomed to visit.
Kids see free show courtesy of couple
honouring their son; Adam Vitaterna died while on holiday in 2005
Posted By TONY RICCIUTO
Posted 2 hours ago
When Andrew and
Marilena Vitaterna lost their son, Adam, in a drowning accident nearly three years ago, the Niagara Falls community came to their support.
On Wednesday, the family showed just how much that meant
to them by purchasing more than 200 tickets for Beauty and the Beast so students from St. Patrick's School could attend the
show for free.
Adam Vitaterna died Jan. 5, 2005, while
on vacation with his family in Puerto Plata in the Dominican
Republic. While on a tour at the Damajagua water
falls, he was sucked under the water. It took more than 10 minutes for help to reach him.
A fundraiser is held each year for the Adam Vitaterna
Memorial Fund and the money is used to assist deserving children in Niagara by paying for their registrations in a sport or activity.
School principal Susan Boychuck said a letter was sent
to parents in early November advising them the Vitaterna family had offered to pay the students' admission to the show.
"It made me very happy to walk in and see this place
jam-packed," said Andrew Vitaterna, just before sitting down with his wife to watch the show at the Niagara Centre for the
Arts on Epworth Circle. "Our fund is all about helping children. When we heard that some of them might not be able to make
it, we decided to just go for it and help out the whole school," he added.
Marilena said it was "amazing how people rally around
you in your time of need. This was a deserving way to give back to our community through the memory of our son."
Theresa Wiggins, who has two children attending the school,
said she had already paid for her tickets. She was surprised when the money was returned and everyone was allowed to attend
free.
"It was really nice for the family to do that, especially
right around Christmastime, when people can use the help. I'm more excited than the kids, I'm looking forward to the show."
Grade 8 student Zackary Zabor said it was great to see
a live show rather than just watching a movie.
"I liked the dancing and seeing everyone being thrown
up in the air. I don't know how they are able to dance in those costumes, it must be hard to do."
Another student,
Bradley Lund, was impressed by the singing and music.
"They've put a lot of time into something like this,"
he said.
Student Demi Palmer said she jumped during the show when
she saw the dresser move and realized it was a person.
"It was cool. Especially when the girl went into his
room and the Beast came out. And when the dad was put in the dungeon it almost made me cry."
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