Arizona Mom Remembers How Scared She Was When Her Daughter’s Strap Broke on a Ride at Seaworld San Diego
When a mother and daughter from Arizona went to SeaWorld San Diego for a fun day, things turned scary.
Salina Higgins told Fox News Digital that it all began when they chose to ride the Electric Eel roller coaster on July 9.
When the ride went through the first “upside down part,” her daughter’s shoulder strap was hanging out in front of her.
“I just so happened to open my eyes, and my daughter started screaming because her strap was dangling in front of her face as we hung upside down,” said Higgins. “I then grabbed the strap, secured it, and held onto it for dear life as we both were screaming until the ride was over.”
For her, the ride was “the longest 47 seconds of my life.” It was over in less than a minute.
Higgins said she told a worker what happened after the ride was over. She thought the worker didn’t care about what she had to say. He said she then told guest services about her problems.
Higgins said she was told to read the warnings that were put up outside the ride. She took shots of the signs and gave them to Fox News Digital.
A sign says: “Hold on tight and remain seated with the comfort collar secured at all times during the ride.”
That one says the comfort straps are “designed for your comfort only.”
After some back and forth with SeaWorld staff, Higgins said she and her family were led off the property by security.
“This was a terrible mistake by SeaWorld,” Higgins said. “Will we have scars for life?” “No, but I can’t sleep well knowing this is going on and someone else could be hurt.”
Then Higgins shared a video on social media that she says shows the moment the strap came loose. The video was taken by her niece.
There have been 8.5 million views of the movie on social media.
Higgins said that after what happened, she was offered free passes to go back to SeaWorld, money to cover the tickets she bought, and finally $1,000. She said she turned them down.
This is being looked into by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, which told Fox News Digital about it.
A spokesperson for SeaWorld told a nearby NBC TV station that the company takes safety very seriously and that there were no safety concerns during the ride.
“Every ride and attraction, including Electric Eel, is built, run, and inspected every day to make sure they meet all safety standards and manufacturer requirements.” The “harness” this family is talking about is a “comfort collar,” which is meant to make the person feel better and is not meant to hold them down, the company said.
SeaWorld said that the lap bar and shin bar are the only safety features on the roller coaster and that they stayed in place.
An announcement at the ride’s entrance said that the comfort collar is “for rider comfort only.”
Fox News Digital tried to get more information from SeaWorld San Diego but did not hear back right away.
“There is absolutely nothing ‘comforting’ about seeing the ‘comfort strap’ dangle above your heads 150ft off the ground upside down!” Fox News Digital spoke with Higgins. “Danger could have come from the metal clasp at the end of the comfort strap coming down and striking my 10-year-old in the face!”
