“The ride is about 47 seconds long,” said Salina Higgins, who visited SeaWorld San Diego on Tuesday with her 10-year-old daughter and 14-year-old niece from Tucson, Arizona. “Forty-seven seconds felt like about 20 minutes.”
After riding rides all day, Higgins and her daughter decided to get on the Electric Eel. Her niece watched and took a video of them as they got to the ride’s peak.
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“I 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,” Higgins said. “I then grabbed the strap, secured it and held onto it for dear life as we both were screaming until the ride was over.”
Cal OSHA said the agency is investigating.
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SeaWorld said the strap is called a "comfort collar" and is there for rider comfort only. A sign in front of the ride indicates so.
"We take safety very seriously and understand that this guest perceived a risk that caused her concern. There was not, however, a safety issue during the ride. All rides and attractions, including Electric Eel, are designed, operated and inspected daily in accordance with all applicable standards and manufacturer specifications. The 'harness' this family is referencing is called a 'comfort collar,' which is intended for the rider’s comfort and is not a restraining device. The lap bar and shin bar are the only restraining devices on the coaster, and they remained securely in place throughout the entire ride. Signage at the entrance of the ride indicates that the comfort collar is for rider comfort only."
Higgins says SeaWorld's explanation wasn't enough because the loose comfort collar could have caused other safety issues.
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She sent NBC 7 an emailed response to SeaWorld's statement on Monday, which said, in part: "There is absolutely nothing 'comforting' about seeing the 'comfort strap' dangle above your heads 150ft off the ground upside down. Danger could have come from the metal clasp at the end of the comfort strap coming down and striking my 10yo in the face."
Higgins acknowledged there is also a lap bar that is designed to hold the rider in place.
Once they got off the ride, Higgins said she told an attendant what happened, and the attendant apologized before loading more people on the ride. Higgins then went to guest services to speak with a manager.
“He asked me, ‘Did you read the disclaimer before getting on the ride?'" Higgins remembered. “Shockingly, I said, ‘Does this disclaimer explain that the comfort straps are optional? Because if it does, then please, I have no case here.’ And then he laughed and said, ‘I don't think so.’ So then I sent my 10- and 14-year-old children to run at 10 o'clock at night to go take a picture of this disclaimer.”
The disclaimer read: “Hold on tight and remain seated with the comfort collar secured at all times during the ride.”
“When I showed him that, he threw his hands in the air and said I could call the number found on the website and had security escort us off the property,” Higgins said.
Higgins said she’s emailed more than 100 SeaWorld and California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) contacts trying to get help. Then she made a TikTok post that went viral.
“I am now advocating for all the other people now, commenting on this TikTok that has almost 6 million views, who also say that this has happened to them,” she said. “So now this has become something bigger.”
She says she wants SeaWorld employees to be more careful and less dismissive. She also wants this to remind viewers to speak up when they feel something’s not right.
Editor's Note: This story has been edited to include SeaWorld San Diego's response to the claims.
