Woman suffers ‘severe’ injuries in water slide accident at SeaWorld park, lawsuit says
A water park attendee suffered “severe and permanent injuries” during an incident at SeaWorld’s Aquatica, according to a recent lawsuit.
She’s suing SeaWorld for more than $50,000, according to the lawsuit filed in Orange County on June 13.
McClatchy News reached out to SeaWorld and its attorneys for comment but did not immediately hear back June 20.
Last June, Melissa Velazquez visited Aquatica Orlando, owned by SeaWorld, the lawsuit says.
The Vero Beach woman entered a kid-friendly section of the park called Walkabout Waters, then she headed to the top of a blue slide and went down, according to the lawsuit.
But the lawsuit says there was no lifeguard monitoring that slide to prevent another person from going down before she had exited out the bottom. Before she could get up and leave the slide, another adult patron “violently” slammed into her, she said in the lawsuit.
As a result, Velazquez said she incurred hospital bills, anguish and loss of enjoyment of life, among other issues, according to the lawsuit.McClatchy News reached out to Velazquez’s attorney for more information on her injuries and is awaiting a response.
Velazquez says SeaWorld was negligent by failing to provide enough lifeguards or attendants, failing to warn patrons of dangerous conditions and not having enough staff available for emergencies.
Previous lawsuits
In September 2023, a woman sued Disney for negligence, saying the force of water at the bottom of a steep slide was so severe she got a wedgie that sent her to the hospital with gynecological injuries.
The lawsuit is ongoing, with Disney denying culpability.
In April 2024, SeaWorld was served with another lawsuit on behalf of Aquatica by a parent who says her minor daughter was hit by a rock at the water park. SeaWorld denies it’s liable.
This story was originally published June 20, 2024 at 5:26 PM with the headline "Woman suffers ‘severe’ injuries in water slide accident at SeaWorld park, lawsuit says."