StarFlyer Employee Falls 200 Feet to His Death in Orlando

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on September 20, 2020

An investigation is underway into the circumstances surrounding the death of an employee who fell while working on maintaining the popular StarFlyer attraction within the tourist district of the City of Orlando. Reports from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office suggested that the incident took place on the morning of Monday, September 14^th, while the individual, a 21-year-old, was performing routine maintenance on the machine.

The StarFlyer is a 450-foot tall ride that brings guests up in an assembly of swings and then proceeds to spin them in circles for almost four minutes. The attraction has been open during this phase of the pandemic, and as a result has required systematic maintenance in order to ensure the continued safety of the guests. It is believed that the 21-year-old was preparing to perform this regular maintenance.

The worker began to climb the tower sometime before 7:40 in the morning and had reached the halfway point when something happened to cause them to lose their grip on the building. It is not clear if the worker was alone at the time or if they were working with a partner or a team. Regardless, when they lost their grip they were not able to catch it once again and they subsequently fell nearly 200 feet to the platform located at the bottom of the tower.

Emergency response crews were immediately called to the scene. When they reached the area, a platform truck was required to reach the area where the man was lying. Either shortly after reaching him or shortly before, the 21-year-old worker suffered cardiac arrest. They were still alive when emergency response teams reached them, and they were taken from the scene to Orlando Regional Medical Center. It was sometime after reaching the medical facility that the 21-year-old was pronounced dead.

The StarFlyer ride was closed as a result of the incident. It is believed that the closure will last until the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the /occupational Safety and Health Administration conclude the preliminary investigation into the death of this individual. No additional details relating to the accident have yet to be released by officials.

Sources:

• Worker falls to his death from StarFlyer attraction in Orlando

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.