An online petition is asking Busch Gardens Tampa Bay to place a memorial for a roller coaster construction worker who died in an accident at a different Central Florida attraction.
21-year-old Jacob Kaminsky fell to his death Monday while conducting a daily safety check at the Orlando StarFlyer, along the city’s International Drive tourist corridor. While the attraction is 450 feet tall, Kaminsky fell from from about 50 to 60 feet, according to the Orlando Sentinel. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at Orlando Regional Medical Center.
Kaminsky’s connection to Busch Gardens comes from his work on the still-unopened Iron Gwazi hybrid coaster. The Change.org petition — which garnered more than 2,100 signatures in 19 hours — asks the park to erect some sort of sign or memorial to Jake near the coaster at a spot easily visible to guests.
“The ride, as evidenced by his Instagram posts, was his pride and joy, and I think dedicating the ride in his honor is a wonderful way to pay tribute to him,” the petition stated.
Iron Gwazi manufacturer Rocky Mountain Construction posted a tribute to Kaminsky on its Facebook page.
“We have never lost one of our own before….our guys go into work everyday knowing the dangers of climbing at heights, erecting these amazing creations for the world to enjoy. But, when tragedy strikes, it is a hard pill to swallow,” RMC said in its post. “To his family of whom we have never met… you raised a very hard working, determined, responsible, honest young man. You should be very proud. We send you our sincere condolences and know that you are in our thoughts and prayers.”
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