Parents of teen who survived an amusement park ride accident speak out

PARKLAND, Fla. - A South Florida teen who survived after falling one hundred feet from an amusement park ride is on the road to recovery.

The family of 13 year old Teagan Marti, along with their attorney, held a news conference at their home in Parkland Monday morning to talk about the teen's progress.

"We're very optimistic about her future," said Julie Marti, Teagan's mother.

On July 30, 2010 the teenager fell one hundred feet from the "Terminal Velocity" ride at a Wisconsin amusement park named "Extreme World."

According to the family attorney, the ride operator released the teen from the ride before the safety net below was in place. Teagan landed on her back and hit the concrete.

"She was dead. She was dying. In other words, that fall...as she was laying there if Julie hadn't started CPR and other people had not had intervened she would have died," said Dr. Alex Marti, Teagan's father.

The teen's mother says her daughter suffered no brain damage but goes to physical therapy five days a week and sleeps with a ventilator.

Her parents say she has trouble speaking but is able to keep in touch with her friends by texting.

The family has settled with the amusement park.

Now the family is looking into filing a lawsuit against the German-based manufacturer who built the ride.