PORT TOWNSEND — The company being sued after three people fell from a Ferris wheel in Port Townsend has responded to the federal lawsuit, denying any negligence or liability.
The Peninsula Daily News reported Tuesday that Fun-Tastic Shows of Oregon says it is the fault of Shawn Swartwood, her partner Crystal Groth and Groth’s 7-year-old son, Mikhail Groth Swartwood, that they were all injured in the May 18 fall.
The Port Townsend family members initially filed a lawsuit in Jefferson County Superior Court against the ride operator for damages for pain and suffering, medical expenses and lost income, but it was moved to federal court.
The three were riding a 40-foot Ferris wheel when the gondola flipped upside-down, dumping them roughly 15 feet onto the ride’s metal platform.
The Ferris wheel in question has been put back into service.
