Gabrielle Russon
A child riding Orlando’s fastest and tallest roller coaster got hit in the face with an object from another rider and needed stitches, according to a new lawsuit.
The child’s father, David Stafford, of Hillsborough County, filed a lawsuit this month against SeaWorld seeking more than $50,000.
The Orange Circuit Court lawsuit stems from a March 15 incident on Mako when a child was hit in the forehead by an airborne object belonging to another passenger on the ride, the complaint said.
The child ended up getting stitches and developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Anxiety Disorder, the lawsuit said.
Mako goes up to 200 feet high and reaches speeds of up to 73 miles per hour.
The lawsuit doesn’t provide details on what the object was or if the other passenger dropped it by accident or intentionally. It’s also unclear how old the minor child was. The attorney handling the case did not return a message seeking comment.
The child was transported by Orange County medical responders to Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, the lawsuit said.
SeaWorld requires people to put their personal items in lockers and leave smaller loose items in bins before boarding the ride.
The lawsuit accused SeaWorld of failing to ensure employees were enforcing the rules to keep the public safe. Ride attendants were supposed to be an additional check to make sure no one had unsecured articles on the roller coaster, the lawsuit added.
The child’s injury was not listed on the state theme park injury report, where theme parks are required to self-report all guests’ injuries or sicknesses that occurred on rides if they were hospitalized for at least 24 hours.
Over the years, a handful of guests have complained about feeling nauseous, back pain or feeling sick riding Mako since the popular roller coaster first opened in Orlando in 2016.
