Parents of 13-Year-Old Who Died in Aruba Boating Accident Work to Educate Others on Waterfront Safety

Cassidy Murray, a 13-year-old girl from Massachusetts, died during a trip to Aruba with her family in March of last year.

The parents of a 13-year-old Massachusetts student who died last year in a tragic boating accident are working to educate others about waterfront safety.

"I open Facebook, and I see posts from neighbors and friends and family saying, 'We're heading to Aruba for spring break,' or 'We're thinking about Aruba,' and our hearts just break right away because we didn't know the dangers," Linda Murray, whose daughter Cassidy Murray died during a family trip to Aruba in March 2022, told The Patriot Ledger. "We weren't aware."

Cassidy's death occurred during a tube ride at Fun 4 Every 1 Watersports Aruba with her father, Dave Murray, according to ABC News.

In his recollection of the incident during a recent sit-down interview with the outlet, he stated that his daughter fell into the water five minutes into the ride, and she was wearing a life jacket.

"I waved at her. She was safe," he added.

As he and the boat driver got close to her direction, he claimed that the boat driver lost control, "pulled it in full throttle" and hit Cassidy.

"The gentleman driving the boat, he had no first aid," he continued. "If there was a second person on the boat, even if there was a spotter, he would have seen we would have had an option to slow it down or he would have seen as soon as Cassidy was ejected."

A representative for the water sports adventure company did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

A description for the tubing experience found on their website states that the experience lasts for 15 minutes and that "the captain will listen to your requests" as you "fly, bounce, scream and have a blast while being pulled behind your boat in Aruba.

While there is currently no travel alert enacted, the State Department explains on their website that "the [Aruban] tourism industry is unevenly regulated, and safety inspections for equipment and facilities do not commonly occur. Hazardous areas/activities are not always identified with appropriate signage, and staff may not be trained or certified either by the host government or by recognized authorities in the field.

After the prosecutor's office in Aruba found that there were was no criminal offense in Cassidy's death," according to ABC News, Dave and Linda tell the outlet that they are working to enact change and have taken Cassidy's case to the prime minister of Aruba and the country's tourism board.

"My hope is that someone is standing at the edge of the beach and about to step on a boat and says, 'Wait, I remember that interview. Wait, remember what that family said? Maybe we should check for this. Maybe we should ask this question,' " added Linda.