RSSOrlando Amusement Park Accident
Teenager Killed After Falling From Drop Tower Ride at ICON Park in Orlando
Tragedy struck a small Orlando theme park Thursday evening when a 14-year-old boy suffered fatal injuries after he fell several feet from one of the world’s tallest drop tower rides at ICON Park located within the city’s popular tourist district.
Teen Falls 25 Feet in Six Flags Amusement Park Accident
Last Saturday evening at Six Flags Great Escape New York, a fourteen year-old girl fell from a 25 ft. high gondola ride into the arms of good samaritans visiting or working the park at the time of the accident.
Season-pass holder Matthew Howard, Sr., from Schenectady witnessed the young teen, clearly distressed and dangling from the Sky Ride, a ski lift-type of apparatus, made for in-park sightseeing. He gathered a crowd underneath the girl in order to catch her, and convinced her to drop once everyone was properly in place.
The girl, whose name has not been released, suffered non life-threatening injuries. She was first transported to Glen Falls Hospital, then Albany Medical Center for further testing. Howard was treated for minor back injuries and has since been released.
The Warren County Sheriff’s Office have concluded that “human error” (on the rider’s part) to be the cause of this accident, although they have yet to interview the girl, or her brother, who was riding next to her when the falling incident occurred.
The state Department of Labor has inspected and since cleared the ride for reopening. Park officials have decided to keep it shut down until this coming Sunday, pending their own internal investigation into the ride.
“The safety of our guests and team members is our top priority, and out of an abundance of caution, the ride will remain closed while we conduct a thorough internal review,” a park representative has since stated.
Orlando Amusement Park Accident Attorneys
Orlando is the “Theme Park Capital of the World”, playing host to over 60 million tourists a year, all of which are hoping to make their own vacation dreams come true. Amusement parks such as Disney World, Six Flags, and Cedar Point, to name a few, have gone to great lengths to uphold the highest of safety standards for everyone in their parks and resorts – patrons and employees alike.
Although amusement park accidents and injuries at theme parks are few and far between, they do occur. At the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham, P.A., we know how difficult it can be dealing with the aftermath of an accident. We provide free initial consultations.
Read More:
After heroic Six Flags rescue, question remains: How safe are amusement park rides?
Police: ‘Human error’ believed to be cause of Great Escape accident
Great Escape keeps ‘Sky Ride’ closed after teen falls
How Orlando Became the Theme Park Capital of The World
Disney Monorail Pilot Hospitalized in Minor Orlando Amusement Park Accident
A minor Orlando amusement park accident sent one worker to the hospital briefly for treatment and shut down Walt Disney World monorails for a short time recently. Early reports say the worker was a monorail pilot at the popular amusement park who suffered an electric shock when he flipped a switch. Flipping the switch created a short and caused electrical sparks to shock the worker on his hand and arm.
SeaWorld Trainer Dies during Contact with Whale
An Orlando SeaWorld trainer died in an accident while handling one of the park’s trained killer whales on Feb. 24. According to official reports, 40-year-old Dawn Brancheau was standing in knee-deep water, interacting with the performing whale known as Tilikum, when she was pulled into the water and subsequently drowned. Brancheau was an experienced trainer, and officials are still looking at exactly how the tragic incident unfolded. Witnesses reported that staff could not assist Brancheau immediately because the animal could not be effectively controlled.
Feds Cite Multiple Safety Violations against Disney
An article published recently in the Orlando Sentinel reported that Walt Disney World has been cited for multiple workplace safety violations and faces fines up to $44,000 after a July monorail accident. The accident claimed the life of a 21-year-old Disney World employee on July 5 of last year and resulted in the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration citing Disney for one “serious” safety violation. Officials say the accident occurred when a monorail train was moving in reverse during a track switch and backed into another train, killing the driver of the train.
Four-Year-Old Girl Severely Injured in Amusement Park Accident
The Orlando Sentinel reported that an Orlando amusement park accident severely injured a four-year-old girl. According to eyewitnesses, the girl was riding in a golf cart with her father at Disney’s Fort Wilderness when the golf cart overturned, partially pinning the girl underneath and causing serious injuries. The article reports that the Orlando amusement park accident occurred around 10:30 p.m. when the girl’s 37-year-old father swerved to avoid colliding with another golf cart that was heading towards them with no lights on.
Mr. Cunningham is an excellent and knowledgeable attorney.