A family from Grand Rapids, Michigan was visiting Chicago's Navy Pier when something very unexpected occurred. According to WGN-TV, Erin and Gideon Brewer’s child, George, was climbing up the rock climbing wall on the pier. While typically a safe activity, in this instance, crucial safety precautions were not taken to ensure that George would return to the bottom of the wall unharmed. Video footage of the incident recorded by Erin shows George proudly reaching the top of the rock climbing wall and jumping down before realizing that he was not safely harnessed. When Georgia jumped, he quickly fell 24-feet to the ground. Erin can be heard screaming and shutting off the camera the moment that her son falls. WGN-TV mentioned that the family is now taking legal action.
“We trusted Navy Pier to operate the climbing wall safely and care about our kids. It is a major tourist attraction and we thought it was reputable,” Gideon Brewer said in a statement obtained by WGN-TV. “Part of the reason we are filing this lawsuit is to warn other parents who take their children to Navy Pier to beware. Safety and concern for children are clearly not their priorities.”
Since the terrifying fall, George has had to undergo four surgeries on his leg and is bound to a wheel chair while he awaits a fifth surgery.