A 4th of July party at The Sanctuary condo tower in Thornton Park ended grimly when a 25-year-old Boca Raton man was killed after falling from the 17th floor.
Wyatt Cragan was visiting friends in Orlando and attended the penthouse unit party to watch the City of Orlando fireworks display from nearby Lake Eola. Witnesses report that about 15 minutes after the fireworks show ended, Cragan hoisted himself up to sit on the ledge when he lost his balance. Despite attempts to catch him he fell backwards, tumbling 12 floors onto a fifth floor balcony where he died on impact. That balcony is attached to the residence of real estate agent Sue-Bee Laginess, an LGBT activist and popular organizer of Phish Phest Entertainment events. Laginess and partner Roxy Santiago were not home at the time of the incident.
Developed by openly gay real estate entrepreneur Steve Kodsi, The Sanctuary opened in 2006 and quickly became known as one of Downtown Orlando’s toniest addresses. Only a handful of the 173 luxury units are still available. Three ground floor restaurants recently closed, but new leases are pending.
The balconies at The Sanctuary are unusually large for high rise condominiums, with high partial walls made of reinforced concrete. The balcony did not give, and there are no reports of design or construction issues being the cause of the Cragan’s fall.
Parties to watch 4th of July fireworks are much-anticipated by occupants of Downtown Orlando’s many new high rise condominium towers. After the incident at The Sanctuary, attendees at the penthouse party were directed to the common room to provide statements. One resident described the incident as, “a terrible, terrible tragedy.”
