DENVER – The 6-year-old girl killed on a ride at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park on Sunday was identified Wednesday as Wongel Estifanos.
The Garfield County Coroner’s Office formally identified the girl Wednesday afternoon after saying Tuesday evening it would assess each day whether to release the child’s name after consulting with the family.
The coroner’s office also confirmed a verified GoFundMe account has been set up by the family to support them and funeral costs. On the fundraising page, which is seeking $50,000, the organizers called Estifanos “a beautiful, caring, and cheerful girl who loves Jesus so much for a 6 year old girl” and said her life was “cut short in this tragic accident.”
“Her parents, families and all the community is devastated by this tragic and sudden loss. We want all the community to stand with the family during unthinkable loss. We understand nothing will bring her back, but we do not want this to be an additional burden to the parents; hence asking for your help in this matter,” the organizers wrote.
Estifanos attended Stetson Elementary School in the District 49 school district near Colorado Springs, according to a spokesperson for the district.
“We are providing support for students and staff. We share the family’s grief as they experience an unimaginable loss,” said the spokesperson, David Nancarrow.
The coroner’s office said Tuesday Estifanos died of multiple blunt force injuries but said the final cause and manner of death were pending the completion of the investigation into her death.
The accident happened on the Haunted Mine Drop ride at Glenwood Caverns. The park is set to reopen on Friday, a spokesperson said Tuesday night.
Investigators from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment’s Division of Oil and Public Safety, which regulates amusement park rides and leads accident investigations, are investigating the accident this week alongside the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office and the city of Glenwood Springs.
The CDLE said Tuesday that the Haunted Mine Drop was most recently inspected by a third party in June and has been in compliance with all regulations and inspections since it became operational in 2017.
The county coroner’s office has been working with the family and provided contact information for a family spokesperson, whom Denver7 has been in contact with and is scheduled to speak with on Thursday morning. The family spokesperson said he is a close family friend and that the family is Ethiopian.
The GoFundMe page had already raised more than $16,000 as of 3 p.m. Wednesday.
This is a developing news story and will be updated.
