ORLANDO, Fla. -- Teenagers in Orlando, Fla., are leaping between 80-foot high public parking garages in a new trend called "garage jumping," according to a Local 6 News investigation.
Local 6 News reported that the thrill seekers are vaulting themselves between garages in downtown Orlando.
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Tim Bargfrede told Local 6 News that he was following friends when he attempted to garage jump and did not make it to the other side. Bargfrede fell six stories and was knocked unconscious on impact.
"I just didn't make it," Bargfrede said.
Bargfrede survived the 80-foot fall but was injured.
"The first time I came to the garage after my son's accident, I looked over and I just about broke out in tears," the boy's father Tim Bargfrede said. "I can't believe he actually survived. He looked like he was near death."
"He (Bargfrede) is not he first person, he is not the second person, there have been four or five other individuals before him that did this," family's attorney Vincent D'Assaro said.
The city of Orlando owns one of the downtown parking lots next to a private parking garage owned by Orlando Tower LP, according to Local 6 News.
Orlando Parking Garage Director Samuel Vennero admitted he was aware of at least one other incident where a garage jumper didn't make it to the other side.
"I don't think we recognized it before as a danger," Vennero said.
There are no safety fences in place on the parking garage.
D'Assaro is filing a lawsuit against the city of Orlando and the private garage owner for making little effort to correct a potential deadly risk.
"There was a very, very short length of fence that was completely ineffective in preventing this from happening," D'Assaro said.
Orlando Tower LP, the private parking lot owner, refused to comment about their responsibility, according to the report.
Since Bargfrede fell, the City of Orlando erected a partial fence but there's still room for someone to take a dangerous dive.
The family says that's not good enough and that both garages need to take responsibility before a garage jumper loses his life.
Please send your comments or questions to Problem Solver Wendy Saltzman at
wsaltzman@local6.com.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
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