Lawsuit: Man sues SeaWorld San Antonio claiming employee improperly secured safety bar on ride – KSAT

Lawsuit: Man sues SeaWorld San Antonio claiming employee improperly secured safety bar on ride  KSAT

A man is suing SeaWorld San Antonio after he alleges a theme park employee improperly secured his safety bar on a ride, causing him to sustain serious back injuries, according to a lawsuit. SAN ANTONIO – A man is suing SeaWorld San Antonio after he alleges a theme park employee improperly secured his safety bar on a ride, causing him to sustain serious back injuries, according to a lawsuit. The plaintiff, Sterling Kelly, filed the suit on Sept. 1 in the U.S. Court for the Western District of Texas. Kelly alleges negligence against SeaWorld of Texas, LLC. Kelly and his grandson visited the theme park on June 10, 2025, and boarded the Steel Eel Hypercoaster.

According to the lawsuit, a theme park employee initially secured the restraint bar too tightly, then loosened it too much after Kelly complained. The employee then “loosened it too much,” causing Kelly to be bounced, jostled and thrown around during the ride’s twists, turns and drops. During the ride, the suit states Kelly heard “popping and cracking in his back” and experienced immediate pain. “When the ride ended, Kelly was unable to exit the car on his own, and needed Sea World employees to help him out of it,” the lawsuit states. The lawsuit alleges Kelly suffered severe personal injuries, including permanent bodily impairment, loss