Parents of BX girl lost in Niagara rapids demand justice

As the search for the body of a Bronx girl who fell into Niagara River continues, the girl?s family is calling for a criminal investigation against the summer camp their daughter was traveling with.

News 12 Staff

Aug 21, 2008, 11:39 PM

Updated 5,894 days ago

Share:

As the search for the body of a Bronx girl who fell into Niagara River continues, the girl?s family is calling for a criminal investigation against the summer camp their daughter was traveling with.
Magdalena Lubowaski, 12, was swept away by the raging water after she veered off a trail and slipped on a mossy rock over a week ago. The teen was sent on a two-week vacation to the Renaissance House, run by Eva Hedges and her son Timothy, with about 20 other children.
The girl?s mother, Katarzyna Lubowski, says she demands justice for her daughter and awaits the return of her remains.
According to attorney Gus Michael Farinell, who represents the Lubowski family, Timothy Hedges took the group of children on a hike a few miles downstream from the falls.
?There [were] no counselors, no guides, there was no proper staffing at the Renaissance House,? Farinell says. ?These goings on directly place these children in harm?s way.?
Hedges allegedly did not have the needed permits to lead the group, nor did his mother have a license to operate the camp.
Farinell says he is trying to arrange a helicopter to take the Lubowski couple above the Niagara River in order to give them a sense of closure before their daughter?s funeral.
The attorney also says he has approached the office of Gov. David Paterson, asking the state to take part in the investigation.