Mother Files Wrongful Death Suit Against West Virginia ‘Tough Mudder’

A Maryland woman whose son drowned last year along an obstacle course in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the organizers of Tough Mudder’s Mid-Atlantic event.

The lawsuit filed by Mita Sengupta against Tough Mudder LLC seeks unspecified damages.

The Tough Mudder team athletic event is held over a 10-12 mile course that includes 24 obstacles.

Avishek Sengupta of Ellicott City, Md., died a day after being pulled from the water pit at the “Walk the Plank” obstacle in Glengary. A medical examiner ruled the 28-year-old drowned.

Among other things, the lawsuit claims a diver took several minutes to get to Sengupta after he became submerged.

Other defendants include a group that oversees Tough Mudder water rescue operations. A group official declined comment.

The Journal of Martinsburg first reported the lawsuit, which was filed April 18 in Marshall County Circuit Court.