A Squirrel Hill man claims he contracted an eye-eating parasite this summer after getting splashed by water while riding the Raging Rapids.

Robert Trostle, along with his wife, Krystsina, filed a lawsuit in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday against Kennywood Entertainment alleging negligence. 

Nick Paradise, a spokesman for Kennywood, said he could not comment on pending litigation.

“Safety is the top priority of everything we do, and that certainly extends to maintenance of the rides and water in the rides,” he said. 

According to the complaint, the couple was at Kennywood on July 2 and got in line to ride the Raging Rapids, a ride the park’s website says simulates a white-water rafting trip. 

While in line, they noticed that the water in the ride was "dirty, stagnant and sludge-like. Additionally, the Trostles noticed that the waterfall was not operating."

The lawsuit continues that near the end of the ride, Mr. Trostle was splashed with water in his left eye.

The complaint alleges that when he was splashed, the parasite microsporidia entered his eye. The lawsuit describes microsporidia as a "harmful parasite that eats away at the cornea of the eye," and was present in the ride's water.

Over the next two days, the complaint continues, Mr. Trostle's eye became inflamed, photosensitive, red, itchy and painful.

On July 5, the lawsuit said, he was diagnosed with acute conjunctivitis and given antibiotics. But over the next several days, it said, his symptoms worsened, and on July 14, he was diagnosed with microsporidia keratitis.

According to the complaint, Mr. Trostle had to undergo "an extremely painful surgery where the parasite was scraped out of the eye with a surgical scalpel, and he was required to remain in a dark room for the next two days."

The lawsuit alleges that the parasite penetrated the “second level” of Mr. Trostle's eye, and it could not be removed entirely through surgery. He continues to have blurry vision, redness, itchiness, pain and inflammation, the complaint said.

As part of the lawsuit, the Trostles allege that Kennywood failed to properly maintain the ride and its filtration system, or test the water being used in it to ensure its safety.

Paula Reed Ward: pward@post-gazette.com, 412-263-2620 or on Twitter: @PaulaReedWard.  

First Published: November 30, 2017, 12:05 a.m.