Sunday, 24 Nov 2024

10-year-old boy injured in zip line fall caught on surveillance tape

A 10-year-old boy fell from a zip line he was riding in central Florida and the disturbing incident was caught on tape, state investigators said Tuesday.

The incident happened on Sept. 1 at the “Sky Rider” zip line at Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park in Lakeland, officials said.

The boy, identified only as “Elijah,” fell about 15 feet, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services investigators, who said the victim was not properly strapped into his harness.

“The leg straps can be seen not buckled,” according to the investigators. “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.”

The family filed suit against park operators on Monday.

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“It killed me to watch it,” the boy’s mother Kim Barnes told WFLA-TV, a Tampa NBC affiliate. “He didn’t deserve this.”

The boy has since been released from the hospital.

“His life is not the same anymore because of this,” said Barnes. “It’s affected him mentally, and emotionally and physically.”

The company told WFLA in a statement that employees involved in the accident no longer work there and all remaining workers have been re-trained.

“Urban Air is fully committed to the uncompromising safety and well-being of our guests and employees,” the company said. “We are thankful to hear that the child is back in school and we will continue to keep him and his family in our thoughts and prayers through his full recovery.”

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