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Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed By Parents Of White Plains Teen Swept Out To Sea

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - The parents of a White Plains teen who was swept out to sea in Hawaii have filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit against the tour company.

WCBS 880's Jim Smith reports

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Tyler Madoff, 15, was on a trip with Bold Earth Teen Adventures last month when he was swept out to sea in rough surf conditions. His body has not been recovered.

The Madoff family alleged that on July 4, tour guides made a series of fatal decisions, including allegedly taking teens to a restricted area of coastline that broke the itinerary and ignoring high-surf advisories.

The tour company has said this was a freak accident.

Madoff's parents said this lawsuit is not about money.

"There are still teenagers out there in this company's care and that's a problem," Michael Madoff told reporters, including WCBS 880's Jim Smith, at a Wednesday news conference announcing the suit.

"We don't want this to happen to other people," Marianne Madoff said.

"To lead 12 teenagers to a treacherous, dangerous area where they should never have been cost Tyler his life," lawyer Susan Karten.

The tour company did not respond to requests for comment on the suit.

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