They've taken time to grieve since a Ferris wheel accident claimed their daughter’s life. Now, Abiah Jones’ parents are looking to take some action.
The 11-year old girl plummeted to her death from the Ferris wheel at Morey’s Mariner’s Landing Pier in Wildwood, NJ on June 3rd.
At a press conference on Tuesday in Philadelphia, an attorney for the family said they were considering a lawsuit against Morey’s Pier.
While a preliminary report found no mechanical problems with the ride, Abiah’s parents say that a child her age should not have been sent 156 feet in the air by herself without any restraints.
“We think there should be a restraint system that prevents somebody from falling out,” said Larry Bendesky, an attorney for the Jones’.
The family believes that bars or a cage would have kept Abiah inside the gondola.
“Click it or ticket, you have to have a seat belt on when you’re in a car. If you’re 150-something feet in the air, there should be some kind of safety, some type of restraint” said Abiah's father Byron Jones.
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Will Morey, the president of Morey’s Piers doesn’t agree and said so on the Today Show.
“That’s not necessary,” said Morey.
“So long as there’s proper containment, it’s a very mild ride and it's really enjoyable by parties just to have a panoramic view, its really uninterrupted just by birdcage type bars.”
The Jones family says that comment is a slap in their face and they’re hoping the pending lawsuit will mandate changes across the country.
“Someone’s responsible,” says Byron Jones. “I don’t want to point fingers at anyone, we just want to make sure this doesn’t happen to another child.”
