Power Failure Strands Dozens on SeaWorld Ride

Four dozen people were stranded on a SeaWorld San Diego ride on Sunday for four hours, due to a power failure.

According to the amusement park, 46 riders and 2 park employees were stuck on the Skytower ride as engineers worked to restore power. The ride takes its passengers 320-foot high in an elevator for a panoramic view of the ocean and the city of San Diego. The park reported that no one was in danger during the four-hour incident and that the SeaWorld employees on the ride provided snacks and water to passengers as they waited.

SeaWorld is still investigating what caused the power failure, which caused the revolving and climbing capsule to come to a halt at about 220 feet into the air.

A spokesman for the San Diego Fire Department said that a 17-year-old boy was taken to the hospital and treated for anxiety after the ordeal, but no other injuries were reported.

Except for most likely being uncomfortable and suffering the inconvenience of losing half their day, the other passengers of the Skytower ride appear to have escaped harm. This is not always the case with amusement park accidents, however, which can cause catastrophic injuries and claim lives. Even on a ride like the SkyTower, which has few limitations for young children and mobility-impaired riders because it is not considered a roller coaster with sharp turns and high speeds, injuries are possible if the ride malfunctions.

Amusement park and theme park operators have an obligation to keep rides in working order through proper maintenance, inspections and repairs. They also have an obligation to keep the park premises reasonably free from hazardous conditions, from missing stairway guardrails that can cause serious falls to inadequate security that exposes guests to assaults, attacks or other harm. When amusement park operators and employees fail in their duty to protect park visitors, they may be held accountable.

At The McClellan Law Firm, we offer legal representation to clients throughout the San Diego area in regard to amusement park and theme park injuries. Our city and the surrounding areas are home to some of the hottest attractions in Southern California, particularly during the summer months when the tourist season reaches its peak. We can investigate cases involving SeaWorld San Diego, SeaWorld Aquatica Waterpark, the San Diego Zoo, the San Diego Zoo Zafari Park, Legoland, Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm and more.

Injured parkgoers may be entitled to financial compensation for their medical care, lost earnings and other expenses, losses or harm they have experienced from their injuries. Roller coaster accidents, animal attacks, assaults by park employees, slip and fall accidents, elevator and stair accidents and water ride accidents are just a few of the types of cases of this kind that we can address. For more information, call a San Diego personal injury attorney at our firm for your free case review.