Parents of Boy Killed at Rye Playland Plan to Sue

By Merylee Robbins

Published on September 13, 2005

On August 3, 2005 Jon Kely Cassara became ensnared by a conveyor belt on the 'Ye Old Mill' ride at Rye Playland. The belt pulled the 7-year-old under 30 inches of water and caused a severe blunt trauma head injury, killing him. His parents argue that the ride should have been equipped with seatbelts, properly supervised, and that ride operators should not have allowed their son to ride alone. The Cassaras are planning to sue both Playland and the county for negligence and wrongful death.

There are no witnesses or video recordings of the incident, limiting knowledge of the exact chain of events to mere speculation. However, investigators were able to deduce that Jon was not properly seated when the accident occurred. Westchester County denies any responsibility for the death.

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