Brooke Scalise

My daughter Brooke Scalise (12) was tragically killed in an ATV accident in July while we were vacationing in Costa Rica.  Her death was the result of complete negligence on the part of the tour company.  At the end of the tour we were led up a road with a sharp turn at a very high speed.  The road had no rails or warning signs and Brooke failed to make the turn and drove her ATV off a 200 foot cliff to her death.

While the government found sufficient evidence to hold the tour operator and ATV owner accountable for her death, they have done nothing to move forward with pressing  charges and it is clear “as usual” the needless death of yet another tourist has been simply “swept under the carpet”.  There has been no follow up whatsoever by the government with our family and they have been next to impossible to reach.  Sadly enough six months later, the tour owner is still conducting tours. 

This has caused quite a stirring in Costa Rica and many Americans living there are outraged at the lack of regulations that continue to result in unnecessary death.   Several have reached out to help us ranging from spiritually (by putting a cross at the accident site and having a memorial service there for her) to offering free legal assistance to see to it criminal charges are filed and we push the government to try to enforce safety regulations to personally building a guardrail at the accident site after the government refused to help.   

The story has touched the lives of many and Brooke’s legacy as a 12 year old has had greater impact than many will ever have.  While the loss was so tragic, it is clearly evident her life was for a greater purpose.  Brooke left many precious gifts in writing that we found after her death indicating her amazing faith which have helped us cope and have helped many others that were “spiritually challenged\" renew their faith.  Some of these include a letter to God written two weeks prior to her death in which she writes; “Thank you God for always being there for me.  I am sorry I have sinned, I know I don’t go to church as often as I should.  Please God help my Mom understand we were made for you (God)\".   She continues to reach out to us to tell us she is okay and I have proof of these amazing events that will make even nonbelievers believe in life after death. 

We have started a foundation in Brooke\'s honor (www.brookescalisefoundation.org). Brooke\'s story is a story of loss, love and faith and will help others understand that faith is a critical factor in surviving a tragedy such as this.  We were not a religious family at all, Brooke walked alone in that regard and we are very thankful that she did.

It is important to create awareness to ensure more and more innocent children\'s lives aren\'t lost as a result of dangers parents don\'t understand.  As American\'s we have to better understand the risk of travel abroad as well as the dangers of ATVs.  So often we sign up for tours or excursions not fully comprehending the dangers of doing so.  Had I been aware of these two factors and the number of deaths associated with each, my daughter would be here today.  Travel in America is so much safer than abroad and the safety regulations that protect our lives here are completely nonexistent in many places we travel.                                                                                                         
In addition to this there is s so much corruption in these third world countries and the government and police care more about robbing tourists than they do of protecting the lives of the tourists they lure there. It is our goal to create some awareness to these dangers and see to it other families don’t fall victim to what our family has been through.  One possibly cannot comprehend what it is like to lose a child, especially in a foreign country where you have to fight just to bring your child’s remains home.  It is our hope to be able to share this with larger audiences and positively impact as many lives as we can. 

READ A STORY ON BROOKE  |  VIEW MORE PHOTOS  |  BACK TO STORIES