WINTER HAVEN, Fla., Feb. 27 (UPI) -- A 13-year-old boy in intensive care in Tampa, Fla., Monday was ruled at fault for accepting a dare and falling from an amusement park roller coaster.
Martin Llamas was on the Triple Hurricane roller coaster at the Cypress Gardens Adventure Park in Winter Haven around 6 p.m. Saturday when he fell from the car about 15 feet up, the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel reported.
He was airlifted to the St. Joseph's Children's Hospital in Tampa with head and other injuries.
Cypress Gardens released a statement Sunday saying Llamas had apparently acted on a dare to maneuver out of his restraint, and stood up before falling as the ride ended.
Monday, the Florida Bureau of Fair Rides Inspection called the accident "patron error," and the Polk County Sheriff's Office is treating it as a "tragic accident," sheriff's spokeswoman Carrie Rodgers said.
The Triple Hurricane carries a maximum of 20 people on a 90-second ride that reaches a maximum speed of 35 mph.
