Woman sues SeaWorld Orlando after she says a duck hit her in the face on ride

Credit: Vival Tours / Shutterstock

A Florida woman is suing SeaWorld Orlando after she says a duck knocked her unconscious while she was on a ride at the theme park.

Hillary Martin, an Orange County resident, claims a duck “flew into the path” of SeaWorld’s Mako roller coaster while she was on the ride on March 24, the lawsuit says.

According to the lawsuit, filed Monday, the duck struck Martin in the face, “causing loss of consciousness and personal injury.”

The suit alleges that SeaWorld failed to “maintain the premises in a reasonably safe condition by negligently failing to correct a dangerous situation” that the park “either knew or should have known about.” Martin’s attorney also argues the park did not warn her about the potential risk of bird strikes before riding.

The lawsuit claims that the Mako’ coaster’s high speed, its location over a body of water and the ride’s design together created a “zone of danger for bird strikes.”

“The safety of our guests and employees is a top priority, and we take these situations seriously. We will not be commenting beyond that as this is pending litigation,” SeaWorld said in a statement, reported by ABC News.

Since this incident, Martin says she has suffered permanent injuries, including “pain and suffering of both a physical and mental nature,” “loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life,” “aggravation of an existing condition” and “past lost wages.”

She is seeking more than $50,000 in damages.

SeaWorld’s Mako roller coaster is described on the park’s website as Orlando’s “tallest and fastest roller coaster,” reaching speeds up to 73 mph and heights of up to 200 feet.

Mako has been the subject of lawsuits involving flying objects before. A Hillsborough County family filed a suit last month alleging their child was hit in the face by an object while riding the coaster in March.

The trial for Martin’s lawsuit is scheduled for Nov. 8 in Orlando, according to court documents.

This post originally appeared in our sister publication, Orlando Weekly.

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