ORLANDO, Fla. – Local 6 has obtained the latest pictures of a man who says he was permanently blinded after an object hit him in his right eye on the Dragon Challenge roller coaster at Universal.
Universal said it shut down the ride and inspected the area, but "found absolutely nothing that could have contributed to this incident." The ride re-opened the following day and was determined to be safe, said a park spokesman. Universal said there has never been an accident similar to this on the ride.
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It's still unclear exactly what happened to Carlos Montalvo, 52, who was on vacation with his wife from Puerto Rico. He remains under the care of doctors, but has been discharged from the hospital.
His sister and attorney spoke with reporters Thursday, and said whatever hit him split his eye open. Now, pathologists will look for debris that may have been left in his eye that could help determine what hit him, they said.
His family said Montalvo is struggling emotionally and depressed.
"This is very devastating for him because what he was before that accident -- and he knows what's coming up in the future -- it's depressing," said Milagros Montalvo, the man's sister.
Montalvo said he was a nurse and already had poor vision in his left eye prior to the accident. Now, his family said the man who was once independent, social and active will not be anymore.
"To be a productive person and now you don't have a job, you don't know what's going to happen, Universal has to think about all that," she said. "He's going to be blind for the rest of his life."
She said for the next three weeks doctors will continue to examine what remains of his eye after the functioning parts were damaged or lost in the accident. She said there's concern surgeons may have to remove it entirely.
"He's a wonderful man who didn't deserve this," said his attorney, Clay Mitchell. "I don't think anybody expects to go out to a theme park and come back blind and that's what happened to Carlos."
Mitchell said the family has not yet decided to sue and would consider an out-of-court settlement.