One of the riders sent hurtling 34 feet to the ground after a roller coaster in Daytona Beach derailed last week spoke about the experience in an interview broadcast on "Good Morning America" Monday morning.
Amanda Bostic, 34, was in the front car of the Sandblaster roller coaster at the Boardwalk, enjoying a ride with her coworkers on the last day of their trip, when it derailed and sent her and one other person plunging out of the car.
"I was told that I bounced from support beam to support beam like a pinball but I don't know that, I was told that," she told "Good Morning America" from her home in Lexington, Kentucky. "I don't remember any of that."
Seven more people were also hospitalized after Daytona Beach firefighters rescued them from the other cars. The group, a party of ten, all worked for the same company, according to the interview. The Associated Press reported the company is Alternative Outlook LLC, a company based out of Hindman, Kentucky, that provides services for the developmentally disabled.
Bostic said that the ride seemed "shaky" and didn't feel as stable as other rides they had been on, and was moving faster than she was comfortable with.
"As we went around the turn it felt as if it wasn't completely attached to those tracks," she said.
She doesn't remember much about the actual incident.
“I closed my eyes, I held on. I remember being airborne, feeling as if I was falling,” Bostic said. “And then the next thing I remember was coming to, on the ground, looking up.”
But she remembers what she saw after that.
"I'll never forget that in my life. There was people still on the ride, there was screaming. One was dangling," she said. "Everyone was screaming and crying, and it was terrifying."
Bostic showed the interviewer large purple bruises on her arms and a badly swollen leg. She said she was diagnosed at the hospital with a concussion and she suffered some chipped teeth.
Five riders were discharged from Halifax Health Medical Center that evening, and another two on Friday morning. The other riders have been identified as Randy France, who was in charge of the group, Roy Patton, Kathy Webb, Shawna Praeter, Melissa Collins, Kayla Wilson, Lonnie Baker, Gill Donald and Dennis Creech.
Orlando-based Morgan & Morgan announced Sunday in a press release that they are representing some of the victims of the derailment.
Matt Morgan announced in the release that one client is still in the hospital, local media reports.
He also called to have "any and all relevant evidence pertinent to our investigation" preserved. “This would include, but not be limited to, the dismantling or destruction of the roller coaster and associated roller coaster cars in question," he wrote.
The three disabled cars were removed from the track Saturday afternoon. Crew members used a crane, a hook, a cable and a blow torch to disconnect the cars and lift them from the steel track onto a nearby flatbed trailer.
The roller coaster had been shut down for over a month when it was given permission to open after what in spectors said was an exhaustive probe, hours before the accident.
"Just yesterday, department inspectors conducted a thorough inspection of the ride, and it was found in compliance with state law," said Jennifer Meale, Communications Director for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Friday. "We have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident, and anyone who should be held accountable will be held accountable.”
The city also released a statement on the accident.
“First and foremost, we are praying for the speedy recovery for the injured passengers,” said city spokeswoman Susan Cerbone. “The safety of our visitors and residents is our top priority, and we are awaiting the results of the state’s investigation so something like this never happens again.”
Morgan & Morgan will be holding a press conference Monday morning to address the issue, Matt Morgan said, with guest roller coaster safety expert Bill Avery.