Lawsuit Faults Church, Ranchers For Drowning

By DAVID SOMMER The Tampa Tribune

Published: Jun 30, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY - The mother of a man who drowned during an annual Christian-oriented Fourth of July celebration at a private lake has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the property owners and a local church.

Victor A. Olivo Jr., 22, had gone to the annual celebration at FairHaven Farm, which is also known as Hallelujahland Ranch, at the invitation of Calvary Chapel Worship Center, according to a lawsuit filed late Thursday on behalf of her son's estate by Elisabeth Olmo.

The lawsuit, which refers to the property on State Road 52 near Shady Hills as "Hallelujah Farm," blames the church and property owners James F. Griffin III and Danielle Griffin for not adequately protecting her son.

The 93-acre ranch features a 3-acre lake with a stationary dock on the shoreline and a floating dock in the center, the lawsuit states.

Olivo, who went to the 2005 event with female roommates he met working at a McDonald's restaurant, drowned while trying to swim to the floating dock, the lawsuit states. It faults both the Griffiins and Calvary Chapel for failing to post warnings, provide lifeguards and rope off a shallow area for nonswimmers.

The complaint seeks unspecified money damages of more than $15,000 for funeral expenses and the loss of Olivo's future earnings.

Calvary Chapel Pastor Bill Strayer could not be reached Friday, people at the church said.

James Griffin said he had not seen the lawsuit but expected there would be one. The Pasco sheriff's office had labeled the death accidental, but Griffin said the roommates told inconsistent stories in the hours he, his sons and others spent searching for Olivo.

At first, the women directed them to a wooded area that they searched on ATVs, Griffin said Friday. He was out driving along State Road 52 where someone said they saw Olivo walking when the women finally directed searchers to the lake, Griffin said.

Olivo, dressed in one of the women's shorts because he had not brought a swimsuit, was found under what Griffin described as the "gazebo dock."

Griffin said there were trained lifeguards on the beach watching dozens of swimmers and that Olivo's friends never told anyone he was in trouble in the water.

The Griffin family has been hosting a July 4 celebration since 1979, he said. Over the years, the event grew as more and more churches lined up as sponsors.

The theme in 2005 was "Born Again on the Fourth of July," and the event featured about 250 baptisms in the lake, he said.

Since Olivo's drowning, they have cut back on the number of invitees, Griffin said. That year, about 16,000 people came out for free barbecue, Christian music, sporting events, swimming and fireworks.

"It got to be no more fun. We did this for the community, to bring in souls for the Lord," he said.

This year, there will be just a few hundred invited guests, Griffin said.

Reporter David Sommer can be reached at (727) 815-1087 or dsommer@tampatrib.com.