Abstract: On February 18, 2011, Employee #1, an amusement park attendant, was working on the balloon rides, securing them at the end of the day. The unguarded platform was slick from a light rain. The primary anchor point consisted of a winch mechanism, where employees attached a rope from the balloon and used a ratchet in a socket to manually crank the rope tighter around the winch to secure the balloon. According to witnesses, Employee #1 was standing near the southeast side of the elevated platform at primary anchor point #2. As he cranked the ratchet in a circular motion to tighten the rope around the winch, the ratchet came free of the socket. When the ratchet came free of the socket, Employee #1 lost his balance and fell backwards 6 feet over the side of the elevated platform onto the lowest concrete stair. He landed on his head and back, and then fell down the remaining stair, approximately 1 foot to the concrete walkway below. Emergency personnel were called and responded. Employee #1 was transported to Palomar Hospital, where he was admitted for over 24 hours for treatment.