A short social-media clip making the rounds this week shows two people climbing and even swinging from the elevated rails of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s Cheetah Hunt roller coaster without any visible harnesses or hard hats. The footage, shot during a refurbishment window, has theme-park watchers immediately asking safety questions. So far, the park has not offered a public explanation for what the video shows.
Clip Posted To X Draws Safety Questions
As reported by Disney Dining, the footage was posted to X on Monday by user @SaxOnTracks and appears to show two people climbing and swinging on the elevated track without visible fall-arrest gear. The post included the line, “This was work prior to reopening too,” and the outlet reports that the video was recorded during Cheetah Hunt’s recent refurbishment.
Disney Dining also notes that the coaster was closed for work in late October 2025 and returned to service in early February 2026. According to the outlet, Busch Gardens did not respond to the tagged post that shared the clip.
What Federal Safety Rules Require
Federal regulators require fall protection for workers on elevated surfaces. Guidance from OSHA says general-industry employers must provide fall protection for exposures of four feet or more, listing guardrails, safety nets and personal fall-arrest systems as accepted methods.
OSHA also expects employers to assess walking-working surfaces, train employees and promptly correct hazards. Those standards are the benchmark regulators would use if they were to assess whether the clip reflects unsafe work practices.
About Cheetah Hunt
Cheetah Hunt is a triple-launch steel coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay that the park lists at roughly 4,400 feet in track length, with a top speed near 60 mph and a drop of about 130 feet, according to the attraction’s official page. With its elevated sections and exposed steel structure, fall protection during maintenance work is a critical part of keeping workers safe.
Because the clip appears to show people working high above the ground during a refurbishment window, it is exactly the sort of situation that tends to draw focused scrutiny from safety-minded fans and maintenance observers.
How Regulators And Workers Could Respond
If an employee or a member of the public files a complaint, OSHA can open an inspection and, if needed, require corrective action. The agency takes complaints online, by phone or in writing, and can keep the complainant’s identity confidential.
Employers that are found out of compliance with fall-protection rules can face citations, financial penalties and required fixes under federal regulations. For details on how to file a concern, the complaint process is outlined by OSHA.
Local Reaction And What Comes Next
Replies to the original X post urged Busch Gardens to spell out what safety protocols were in place and warned that the situation shown in the clip “could get someone killed,” reflecting immediate concern among theme-park fans who saw the footage.
As of now, Busch Gardens and parent company SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment have not issued a public statement addressing the video, while the park’s attraction page currently lists Cheetah Hunt as operating. We will continue to watch for any official response or regulatory action and update this story if officials comment.
