It’s been three weeks since 12-year-old Teagan Marti went on a free-fall ride at the Extreme World attraction in the Dells, and was rushed to the Children’s Hospital in Madison after a net wasn’t deployed to catch her. Her mother, Julie Marti, says there are signs of recovery, even though Teagan is unable to breathe on her own and could be paralyzed.
Her mother spoke with members of the media Friday afternoon to talk about how the family is holding up. She describes the accident as the worst day of her life and recalled thinking Teagan was dead in the moments after her 100 foot free fall to the ground.
The Florida girl has undergone numerous surgeries, including on her lungs and spine. Her mother says they’ve been limiting how much she knows about the incident that put her in the hospital, in an effort to spare her more stress. Teagan currently can only communicate by blinking her eyes.
Marti had no comment on the criminal charges brought against the operator of Terminal Velocity However, she says they were familiar with 33-year-old Charles Carnell before the accident. Carnell was the operator interviewed on the Travel Channel show where Marti first saw the ride, which resulted in them traveling to Extreme World while on vacation.
Meanwhile, the Marti family attorney says a civil suit against Extreme World, the ride operator, and the manufacturer of the attraction could be filed within the next 15-20 days. Stuart Grossman says he’s currently trying to carry out a meticulous investigation into the events that led to the girl’s injuries.
Grossman also found reports “disquieting” that employees of Extreme World were found making repairs to the ride in the middle of the night, just a few days after the accident. He says it’s fortunate that police saw the lights on at the park and investigated.