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State to pay $100,000 to abused foster girl

DAYTONA BEACH - The state has agreed to pay $100,000 to a girl abused so severely by her foster father that she suffered permanent brain damage.

Lauren Crane was a healthy toddler when placed in a foster home by the state Department of Children and Families. Her mother voluntarily relinquished custody because she had an addiction and wanted her child to be safe.

On Dec. 26, 1999, the 18-month-old girl was hospitalized in a coma following abuse by her foster father, David Koch. Now age 5, she has the cognitive ability of a toddler.

The $100,000 settlement is the maximum judgment allowed under Florida law without legislative approval when the state is held liable.

"She's not being fully compensated," William Chanfrau, Lauren's attorney, said Monday. "But we're doing the best we can under the law."

Lauren has since been adopted and "has progressed a lot," according to her adoptive mother, who asked not to be named to protect the child's privacy. In January 2001, Koch, 41, of Palm Coast, pleaded no contest to aggravated child abuse, was placed on 20 years' probation and was ordered to pay $280 a month for Lauren's care for 20 years.

PORT ST. JOE - A doctor charged with abandoning an apparent stroke victim at a rescue mission has reached an agreement that will keep him out of prison and let him keep practicing medicine.

Dr. Vincent Ivers and the state agreed to a six-month pretrial intervention Monday with the understanding that as long as he doesn't break the law the felony charge will be dropped.

Ivers, a 43-year-old internist at Gulf Pines Hospital, was charged with felony abuse and neglect of a disabled person after authorities said he left a disabled man in a wheelchair on the loading dock of the Panama City Rescue Mission last July.

Benjamin Corona, 60, had been transferred from Bay St. Joseph Care and Rehabilitation Center to Gulf Pines Hospital, and Ivers' care, for evaluation because of violent behavior. Defense attorney John Daniel said Ivers "exhausted every avenue" trying to get Corona help.

Ivers faced a possible maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Prosecutor Alton Paulk said he agreed to pretrial intervention because Ivers would suffer an unfair penalty - losing his medical license - if convicted of the third-degree felony.

"It's too severe," Paulk said. But "you just can't abandon a patient the way he did and avoid sanctions. It's all a fairness thing."

MIAMI - The eight survivors of Sunday's crash that killed two people in the Bahamas were pushed to their limits to stay alive in choppy seas, the Coast Guard said Tuesday.

A woman held her baby above her head for an hour. Three people shared one life jacket. And two children held on to their dead mother's body to stay alive, the Coast Guard said.

Lt. Cmdr. Mike Eagle, who piloted the first of three rescue aircraft to arrive on the scene about 3:30 p.m., said he found distressed passengers in clusters, "grabbing anything they could to stay afloat."

"They looked exhausted, at their limits, especially the group with the baby," Eagle said, referring to Bethany Duval Francisco, 26, of Orlando, her husband, Constantinos Charles Francisco, 26, their 1-year-old, Zoie, and the Air Sunshine pilot, Hassan Moslemi.

"The woman was holding the baby above her head, and her husband and the pilot were supporting her, with one life jacket between them," said Lt. Mike Jackson, who flew a helicopter that arrived a half hour later. Other passengers included Walt Wilkins, 29, and Donyelle Wilkins, 27, of Greenville, S.C., who were honeymooners.

Diane Parker Diaz, 33, of Jacksonville, was taking her son Andre, 6, her daughter Elisa, 5, and her niece, Dante Parker, 3, to her brother's wedding. Diaz and the 3-year-old died.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash and plans to pull the plane up from 50 feet of water. Moslemi sent a mayday call before going down, reporting engine failure.