ORLANDO, Fla. — The roller coaster community wants to honor one of its own who died after a fall from the StarFlyer attraction earlier this week.

What You Need To Know

  • Jacob Kaminsky remembered by former employer

  • Kaminsky had worked for company making Iron Gwazi coaster

  • Kaminsky most recently worked at Orlando StarFlyer

  • He died after falling from the tall attraction during safety check

Jacob Kaminsky, 21, was conducting a safety check on the Orlando StarFlyer, a 450-foot-tall swing attraction, on Monday when he fell. He was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

But before getting a job at the International Drive attraction, Kaminsky was part of the construction team that worked on the upcoming Iron Gwazi coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

Kaminsky was temporarily let go in March because of the coronavirus pandemic. However, according to Rocky Mountain Construction, the coaster’s manufacturer, he returned in July to complete work on Iron Gwazi.

Following the news of Kaminsky’s death, Rocky Mountain Construction posted a tribute to him on its Facebook page.

“Jake was an exceptional young man, loved roller coasters and took pride in his work,” the post read.

“We have never lost one of our own before…our guys go into work everyday knowing the dangers of climbing at heights, erecting these amazing creations for the world to enjoy. But, when tragedy strikes, it is a hard pill to swallow. To his family of whom we have never met…you raised a very hard working, determined, responsible, honest young man. You should be very proud."

Now the coaster community is asking Busch Gardens to place a sign near Iron Gwazi that honors Kaminsky. A Change.org petition was created and, at the time of this writing, has garnered more than 3,000 signatures.

“Ideally, this memorial would be placed outside of the entrance of the attraction where it can be easily seen,” the petition reads. “The ride, as evidenced by his Instagram posts, was his pride and joy, and I think dedicating the ride in his honor is a wonderful way to pay tribute to him.”

Iron Gwazi was originally set to open earlier this year, but the pandemic set back those plans. The coaster will now open next spring, according to Busch Gardens’s website.

For the time being, the Orlando StarFlyer attraction remains closed. The Orange County Sheriff's Office and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the circumstances that led to Kaminsky's death.

A GoFundMe page was set up by a family friend to help Kaminsky's family pay for funeral expenses. So far, more than $6,000 have been raised.