A couple waiting in line with their 2-year-old for an amusement park ride was attacked by other guests in line at SeaWorld in San Diego earlier this month. The couple says park security and employees did not step in to help, according to NBC 7. Their 2-year-old reportedly injured her head because she was on her fatherâs shoulders when he was attacked by a man, and the mother was reportedly attacked by two women.
This is not the first time park guests have been assaulted at the theme park. Last year a group of four individuals was assaulted by a group of teens while waiting in line for a ride and filed a lawsuit against SeaWorld for $100,000 on February 1, per Cinema Blend.
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The attackers briefly spoke to the couple before the assault.
The North County San Diego family asked to be kept anonymous for their safety after the attack they experienced at SeaWorld earlier this month. They were in line for a ride with their 2-year-old daughter when a man reportedly turned to them and asked, âWhy are you looking at me?â The couple responded that they were not, reported NBC 7. Shortly after this encounter, the man and his wife were attacked.
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The man described trying to help his wife during the altercation, but sadly, he could not help her while he was being attacked.
The man was attacked while carrying his toddler on his shoulders and said she âhit her head, really bad," according to NBC 7. He also heard his wife screaming and tried to help her, but he was being attacked at the same time.
"And after that I heard screaming from my wife and I saw that two ladies were hitting her so I ran and tried to protect her and I couldn't do anything because this guy grabs me again and throws me to the ground again," said the man, according to the news outlet.
It appears no one stepped in to help during the attack.
The woman described her experience as terrifying and said she struggled to breathe during the attack. "I feared for my life, I was short of breath, I couldn't breathe," she said, per NBC 7.
Though SeaWorld released a statement stating that âan employee promptly notified park security," the couple claimed staff didn't step in to help while the attack lasted several minutes and other park guests and SeaWorld employees were present, the news outlet reported.
No arrests were made, per local authorities, because the attackers left the theme park, and though the family has a lawyer, no lawsuit has been filed yet, NBC 7 reported.
This is not the first time the theme park has made headlines for negative reasons.
Theme parks should be a safe and fun space for families to enjoy together, but that was not the case for the family attacked in San Diego this month or for another group attacked at a SeaWorld last year in a similar incident. Though the statement released by the theme park in response to this month's attack with the family claims âThe safety of our guests and staff is always our top priority," per NBC 7, the theme park's response to the family filing a lawsuit in 2022 appears to indicate the opposite.
A family of four was reportedly attacked by a group of teenagers after an altercation happened, also while waiting in line. The lawsuit stated that security arrived after it was over and the teens were allowed to leave, per Cinema Blend.
A response filed by SeaWorldâs lawyer claimed the familyâs injuries resulted from negligence and carelessness.
Many hope these two families experiencing similar instances of assault within a year will be an incentive for SeaWorld to take the security of its guests more seriously.
