Roller coasters are built to withstand intense speeds, sharp turns, and enormous drops. Yet the natural world sometimes poses risks no designer can fully account for. One of those dangers — bird strikes — has made headlines once again, this time at SeaWorld Orlando.
Hillary R. Martin has filed a lawsuit claiming she was injured on the park’s Mako coaster after an unexpected airborne collision. The suit is now fueling renewed scrutiny over theme park safety and environmental planning.
The Incident at SeaWorld Orlando
Mako, one of the tallest and fastest coasters in Orlando, climbs 200 feet into the sky and reaches 73 miles per hour. Martin says that during her March visit, “a duck flew into the path of the roller coaster,” hitting her face and knocking her unconscious. She alleges the incident caused permanent physical injuries, disfigurement, and lasting psychological trauma.
The accident was not logged in Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services quarterly report, which lists ride-related injuries that result in hospital stays longer than 24 hours. Martin argues that the severity of her injuries still warranted official recognition and legal action.
Her lawsuit asserts that SeaWorld, owned by United Parks & Resorts, failed to maintain its property in a safe condition. She contends the placement of Mako near a water feature increased the likelihood of wildlife interference, effectively creating “a zone of danger” for riders. Martin is pursuing more than $50,000 in damages (via Fox 35 Orlando).
SeaWorld’s response was brief, insisting that “the safety of [its] guests and employees is a top priority and [it takes] these situations seriously. We will not be commenting beyond that as this is pending litigation.”
John Morgan, of Morgan & Morgan, who represents Martin, was far more direct.
“SeaWorld knew or should have known of this dangerous condition, as this was not the first reported bird collision to occur on one of their roller coasters this year. SeaWorld allegedly dangerously positioned a high-speed coaster over a man-made lake teeming with birds. We're here to get justice for our client and ensure this allegedly dangerous design is fixed, permanently.”
A Park Defined by Extreme Coasters
SeaWorld Orlando has worked for years to rebrand itself not as a marine park but as a thrill park, adding record-breaking roller coasters to compete with nearby Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort.
Alongside Mako, the park features the likes of Ice Breaker, with its steep vertical spikes and launches, and Manta, a flying coaster that positions guests face down as they soar over water-filled landscapes. Kraken, a floorless coaster with seven inversions, has long been one of its most intense rides.
Martin’s case is not the first to involve Mako. In September, another claim was filed alleging that a child was struck in the face by an object while riding the roller coaster — reportedly in the same month as Martin’s incident.
A Pattern of Accidents Across Theme Parks
Bird strikes on thrill rides are rare but not unprecedented.
At Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, a rider on Kingda Ka was hospitalized after colliding with a bird mid-ride.
In 1999, model Fabio Lanzoni was famously injured when a goose impacted his opening-day ride on Apollo’s Chariot at Busch Gardens Williamsburg – another park owned by United Parks & Resorts, and named in a separate lawsuit that alleges the company is misleading customers into paying more for their tickets.
While later reports clarified that the goose struck a camera before cutting him, the spectacle cemented the dangers in public memory.
Beyond roller coasters, birds have disrupted other resort environments. In 2017, a guest at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort allegedly suffered traumatic brain injuries after being struck on the head by a bird near the property’s lagoons.
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