The father of a Bridgeport man who drowned at Fountain Lake has filed a lawsuit against Ansonia and Seymour.
Jorge Ortiz, 20, died in the lake on the Ansonia-Seymour border while swimming with friends June 1, 2013.
The lawsuit, dated May 28, says Ansonia and Seymour are to blame for Ortiz’s death because they allowed swimming in the lake ​“without signs warning visitors of the dangers of swimming,” or providing lifeguards.
A sign prohibiting swimming is posted on the Seymour side of the lake, but the lawyer who filed the lawsuit said it was only erected after Ortiz’s death, which the lawsuit says was ​“caused by the carelessness and negligence” of the towns’ recreation directors.
Basically, the lawsuit— filed by Bridgeport lawyer Michael Voytek on behalf of Ortiz’s father, Eddie — argues that Seymour and Ansonia operated a park with a lake with no supervision.
The park is a popular fishing and bird-watching spot. It features hiking trails as well.
The state medical examiner’s office ruled Ortiz’s death was an accident. The official cause of death was ​“asphyxia by submersion.”
Voytek described Ortiz Monday as ​“a good kid, loved by his family, who worked two jobs.”
His death was ​“preventable and foreseeable,” he said.
“It was a tragedy that could’ve been prevented, in our view,” Voytek said.
The lawsuit seeks at least $15,000, according to court documents, though Voytek said he hasn’t calculated a precise figure to demand.
It’s unclear when exactly the sign prohibiting swimming at the lake went up.
According to a New Haven Register story published two days after Ortiz’s death, then-Ansonia Mayor James Della Volpe said he’d meet with Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller to get signs prohibiting swimming posted.
Two weeks after Ortiz’s death, Miller said at a Selectmen’s meeting that he ​“had a meeting to discuss what happened at Fountain Lake and the steps that can be taken to prevent anything like this from happening again,” according to meeting minutes.
The minutes say ​“more information will follow at the July 2, 2013 Board of Selectmen meeting,” but the minutes of the July 2 meeting do not mention Fountain Lake.
Asked about the sign Monday, Miller referred a reporter to Town Attorney Richard Buturla, who declined to comment on the specifics of the case.
“As a matter of policy we do not traditionally comment on pending litigation,” Buturla said. ​“We have turned the matter over to the town’s insurance carrier for an appropriate defense.”
Ansonia’s Corporation Counsel, John Marini, said Monday morning he had not yet seen the lawsuit.
He said the city’s Aldermen on Tuesday would likely refer the lawsuit to his office for further investigation.
“I’ll take a look at it and we’ll file our answer,” he said.
The man’s family put Ansonia on notice back in December 2013.