Boy's fall of more than 20 feet from zip line ride caught on video
A ten-year-old boy slipped out of his harness and fell more than 20 feet from a zip line ride to a concrete floor in Florida. State authorities blame "operator error."
A lawsuit filed by his family points to the same cause and says he was seriously hurt.
The incident was caught on video.
The boy has recovered sufficiently to return to school, CBS Tampa affiliate WTSP-TV reports.
The employees involved have been fired.
It occurred Sept. 1 at Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park in Lakeland.
The "Sky Rider" carries one harnessed person along a track that lines the ceiling of the indoor park.
Investigators from the Florida Department of Agriculture said the ride's harness wasn't properly secured.
The report said the child's leg straps weren't buckled, leaving him holding on with his arms until he lost his grip.
In a statement, the department said, "Our inspector noted no deficiencies in the equipment at the time of the incident nor did Urban Air have a history of device deficiencies during prior inspections of the facility. The report indicates that the incident was a result of operator error."
A spokesperson for Urban Air said in a statement to WTSP that, "Urban Air is fully committed to the uncompromising safety and well-being of our guests and employees. As a family owned and operated company, safety is at the heart of everything we do. We take matters of this nature very seriously and can assure that appropriate measures have been taken.
"All staff members have been retrained on all attractions and the employees in question are no longer with us. 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."
