HONOLULU — Lawyers for the family of a New York teen killed during a kayak excursion in Hawaii last year say the trip’s organizers didn’t properly vet or train its leader.
Lawyers for the family of Tyler Madoff said Tuesday in federal court in Hawaii that Bold Earth Teen Adventures ignored or didn’t know about marijuana and alcohol use by the leader. They say the group ignored safety rules for a state park on Hawaii’s Big Island.
Loretta Sheehan, an attorney for the 15-year-old boy’s father, says trip leader Andrew Mork was unfit to guide children.
Lawyers for Mork and Colorado-based Bold Earth Teen Adventures declined comment after a hearing.
The details surfaced as attorneys argued whether punitive damages would be guided by Hawaii or Colorado laws in the wrongful death lawsuit.