Mother Sues After 10-Year-Old Plunges to Ground From Florida Zipline

A Florida mother is suing Urban Air Adventure Park, a Lakeland, Florida, indoor amusement arena after an incident in which her 10-year-old son slipped from a poorly secured harness, landing 20 feet below.

According to a report from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, an inspector reviewed footage provided by management showing the boy prior to and after dispatch on the ‘Sky Rider’ attraction on September 1.

The report stated: "The video reveals, prior to dispatch, the patron is seen walking from the harness area to the dispatch area without having his harness full secured.

“The leg straps can be seen not buckled during the video segment. After dispatch the patron is seen riding the Sky Rider, holding his body weight with his arms. When arriving at the first dip the patron loses his grip and falls to the floor.”

This video shared by the department shows that moment. The boy was air-lifted from the park after suffering serious injuries in the fall, including broken ribs, a collapsed lung and head injuries, according to reports. He is still recovering.

Three operators of the Sky Rider attraction told investigators they checked the boy’s harness and adjusted for size, “and there were no signs of the harness hanging or detachment.” One operator told investigators she was trying to clip two patrons in at a time to “‘make things go faster’”, the report continued.

In an interview with staff at Urban Air’s corporate headquarters, investigators were told that the ride was closed after the incident, and the three employee operators had been re-assigned.

In a follow-up call with the Lakeland branch’s general manager, investigators were told two of the employers were “dismissed from employment for failure to secure the harness on the patron prior to dispatch.”

The investigator found Urban Air Lakeland attendants “failed to ensure the patron’s safety harness leg straps were secured prior to dispatch as per the manufacturer.”

The full investigation report included phone transcripts, inspection reports, photographs, written statements and more. For a copy of the full report, please contact newsroom@storyful.com. Credit: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services via Storyful