Roller coaster car derails(December 31, 2010) - A roller coaster car derailed at a carnival in Timaru, New Zealand, leaving two people with minor injuries. The accident happened on a kiddie roller coaster. The injured were riding in the car when it left the track of the ride. They managed to escape from the car, which was left dangling from the track about four feet from the ground.
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Boy, 17, drowns at indoor water park(November 6, 2010) - At the Grand Rios Ramada Hotel and Indoor Water Park in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, a 17-year-old boy was pulled from the bottom of a pool at the end of a water slide. He received CPR and was rushed to an area hospital, where he died.
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Girls injured by Zipper wheel that flew off ride(November 1, 2010) - At the Coastal Carolina Fair in Ladson, South Carolina, a 2-inch trolley wheel flew off a Zipper ride and struck two girls who were standing in line at an adjacent ride. The Zipper was shut down for repairs, and reopened the following day after it passed an inspection.Neither girl was injured seriously.
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Six Flags haunted house catches fire WSHM CBS 3, 10/9/10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
North American Midway Entertainment worker killed(October 11, 2010) - In Columbia, South Carolina, a 43-year-old carnival worker was electrocuted while working on a ride called the Rainbow. The accident happened at the South Carolina state fairgrounds. The man was an employee of North American Midway Entertainment.Investigators are working to determine what caused the accident.
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Roller coaster trains collide at Knott's Berry Farm; 10 injured(October 7, 2010) - At Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, 10 people were injured when two roller coaster trains collided. The accident happened on the Pony Express roller coaster, which uses a launch system to propel trains.According to a park spokesman, the first train had been launched, but did not have enough momentum to pass over the first incline, so it rolled backwards and collided with a train that had pulled into the station to load passengers. Ten riders complained of minor neck and back injuries and were taken to hospitals for treatment. RCDB.com reports that the Pony Express is a motocoaster model ride manufactured by Zamperla. A ride description from the park's website states, "While sitting astride one of the team’s 16 horses, riders leave their post with their steed launching them at a speed of 0-38 mph in less than 3 seconds. Knott's Berry Farm is owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. UPDATE: Investigators from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health concluded that the train rolled through the ride's braking system because the braking components had been painted. The paint was removed at the request of the manufacturer, and the ride reopened on October 16. Cal OSHA also noted that there were no testing procedures that would have simulated the events of the accident.
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Man, 68, found unresponsive at SeaWorld Orlando(October 4, 2010) - At SeaWorld's Aquatica water park in Orlando, Florida, a 68-year-old man was found unresponsive in a river-type attraction called Roa's Rapids. He was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.The park's website describes the ride as "an action river ride through the white waters of Aquatica." After learning of the man's death, the park released this statement: "The park's lifeguards responded quickly and performed CPR until paramedics arrived. "Our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time."
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Carnival ride collapse injures 5(October 2, 2010) - At a Halloween-themed carnival in Middletown, Delaware, an amusement ride collapsed, leaving five people with minor injuries. Witnesses said that a section of the ride detached, then flipped over.The ride, called the Merry Mixer, is operated by Jim Houghton Enterprises. It is similar to the more commonly known Scrambler and Sizzler rides, but each type of ride is manufactured by a different company.
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Boy injured on kiddie coaster(September 24, 2010) - At the Fort Bend County Fair in Rosenburg, Texas, an 8-year-old boy suffered bruises and facial injuries while he was riding a kiddie roller coaster called the Wacky Worm. He was treated for his injuries at a hospital.The ride, which is operated by Armstrong Shows, was reopened within an hour, after inspectors found no mechanical faults.
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Extreme World Accident |
Park "repairs" at crime scene where girl fellPolice: Park workers made changes at 2 a.m. to freefall ride where 12-year-old was dropped ten storiesIn a report obtained by CBS News, police say they are looking into suspicious activity from several other workers at the small amusement park called Extreme World in Wisconsin Dells. Police stated they observed workers "repairing the ride" where Teagan Marti fell two weeks after the accident. The report says the workers were making the repairs around 2 a.m. The ride is, and was then, considered a closed crime scene.CBS News, 8/20/10
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Operator error suspected in child's thrill ride crashWisconsin State Journal, July 31, 2010 |
NEWS |
Ride operator, passenger injured at Maryland fair(August 17, 2010) - At the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair in Gaithersburg, Maryland, a ride operator was struck by a rotating swing ride called Vertigo. He climbed over the metal fence that surrounded the ride and entered the path of the swings when he noticed that the swings were colliding with another section of the fence.Witnesses said it appeared that the foot of at least one rider collided with the fence as the ride lowered back to the ground. The fence was then partially dragged into the path of the ride. Some swings collided as the fence became an obstacle and interfered with the normal rotation of the ride. One child who was on the ride suffered minor injuries when he collided with the fence. A news crew from WTTG FOX 5 was on the scene filming for another news story and captured the accident on camera. The Vertigo is manufactured by A.R.M. Inc. of Ohio and operated by Powers Great American Midways. It passed an inspection when the fair opened last week, but has been shut down as investigators work to determine what went wrong. UPDATE: A spokesman for the fair said that the swings, which are designed to stop rotating once they are lowered inside the fenced-in loading area around the base of the ride, did not stop, causing the riders legs to collide with the fence.
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Park train derails; 15 injured(August 11, 2010) - At Tiny Town amusement park in Colorado, 15 people were injured when a miniature train derailed and rolled on its side, spilling passengers onto the ground. Most riders suffered only minor injuries.UPDATE: Investigators from the Colorado Department of Labor & Employment determined that the accident was caused by operator error. The engineer of the train admitted that he panicked when he realized the train was moving too fast as it entered a turn, where it should have been moving at only 3mph. He said that he mistakenly reached for the accelerator rather than the brake. Ultimately, the operator attempted to correct his mistake, and applied the brakes, but by that time, it was too late and the train had begun to roll off the track. | ||
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Park's inflatable prop injures riders during storm at Busch Gardens(August 5, 2010) - At Busch Gardens theme park in Williamsburg, Virginia, five people suffered minor injuries on the Griffon roller coaster when a 25-foot inflatable prop blew into the path of their train. Five riders were treated at a hospital for minor neck and back injuries.The park said that workers were in the process of removing the props when the accident happened. The ride was inspected and found to be in proper operating condition.
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Riders evacuated from Sky Glider at Wisconsin fair(August 5, 2010) - At the Wisconsin State Fair, more than 130 riders were left stranded for up to three hours on a cable lift ride called the Sky Glider when the ride's motor failed. The Sky Glider carries riders across the fairgrounds in slow-moving cars that hang from cables stretched high above the fair's midway.Rescue workers used cherry-pickers and fire truck ladders to bring riders to safety. No one was injured.
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Girl, 9, injured in fall from Super Himalaya(July 27, 2010) - At the California Mid-State Fair, a 9-year-old girl suffered minor injuries when she fell from a Super Himalaya ride. Witnesses said that the girl stretched out her legs out underneath the safety bar and took an unsafe riding position while the ride was running in reverse at full speed.In the wake of the accident, the ride's owner, Davis Enterprises, plans to reduce the ride's speed from 13 to 12 rotations per minute. Also, netting will be added underneath the bars which will prevent riders from lowering themselves through the space between the bar and the floor of the car. Investigators determined that the girl met the ride's height requirement, and that neither the ride nor the safety bar malfunctioned.
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Emergency stop injures riders on drop tower(July 25, 2010) - At Isla Magica theme park in Seville, Spain, several riders suffered minor injuries on a drop tower ride when the emergency stop system engaged. Riders were treated for nausea, minor cuts and bruises at a local hospital.The ride, called El Desafio, consists of a 220-foot tower. A 32-passenger cabin drops from the top of the tower and allows riders to experience a 170-foot free fall before it slows to a stop. The ride has different programs, or ride cycles, that change throughout the course of the day. The carriage had made it through the first drop of the cycle successfully, but failed to complete the second drop. Park officials said that the ride's monitoring system triggered the emergency stop when it detected that the ride carriage was traveling too fast. Riders waited 10-15 minutes before the carriage was lowered back to the platform. The ride was manufactured by Maurer-Söhne of Germany.
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Roller coaster injures three at Trimper's Rides(July 22, 2010) - Three children between the ages of 10 and 15 suffered minor injuries when a cable snapped on the Tidal Wave roller coaster at Trimper's Rides in Ocean City, Maryland.The Tidal Wave was manufactured by Vekoma Rides. It is commonly known as a boomerang-type roller coaster. The train is pulled up a 116-foot incline, then released. It then passes through three inversions -- a cobra roll and a vertical loop -- before it is pulled up another incline, then released, at which time it travels through the inversions in reverse. The ride is closed for repairs and reinspection.
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Ride operator struck by Kamikaze ride gondola(July 21, 2010) - At a fair in Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada, a ride operator was struck by a swinging gondola on a pendulum-type ride called Kamikaze. He suffered serious injuries, but is expected to recover.The ride, operated by Amusements Spectaculaires, was found to be in proper operating condition.
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Girl breaks arm in fall from swings at Six Flags Fiesta Texas(July 18, 2010) - A 10-year-old girl broke her arm in a 6-foot-fall from the Whirligig swing ride at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. The girl's mother claims that the girl was not secured and that the ride operator did not check to make sure that all riders had their restraints in place.According to the girl's mother, the girl was taken to the park's first aid station, where she was bandaged. After she was told by park officals that the girl was fine, the mother took the girl to the hospital, where she learned that her daughter's arm was broken.
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Girl, 15, killed in amusement ride collapse(July 17, 2010) - At Tibidabo amusement park in Barcelona, Spain, a catastrophic failure of an amusement ride left a 15-year-old girl dead, one person hospitalized in critical condition, and another in serious condition.The ride, called El Pendulo (The Pendulum), consists of a giant vertical arm with a 4-passenger carriage attached to its end. The arm hoists the carriage to a height of 124 feet. When the arm is released, riders experience the sensation of freefall as the carriage drops through the air, swooping through a 150-foot arc at speeds of up to 60mph. The arm swings the carriage back and forth through the air, until it is slowed by gravity and finally the ride's braking system. Witnesses said that the base of the ride gave way and the entire ride toppled over, crashing onto a flume ride called the Gold Mine, then plunging to the ground, where the passenger cabin was severely damaged. Just three and a half hours before the accident, maintenance workers were called to the ride because it was making strange noises. Workers examined and tested the ride for 10-15 minutes, then reopened it after they did not detect any problems. The investigation is focused on the bolts that attached the metal base of the ride to the concrete foundation. The bolts will be sent to a laboratory for extensive testing, after which time investigators will determine whether they were long enough and wide enough to sustain the pressures exerted by the ride, and whether they were anchored to the concrete properly. It was also reported that the company responsible for the maintenance of the rides has only been working for the park for sixteen days.
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Fair worker killed(July 17, 2010) - A fair worker was struck by an amusement ride called Body Shake during a test run and later died from his injuries. The accident happened at the Zwarte Cross fair at Lichtenvoorde, in the Netherlands. | ||
CHQR, July 17, 2010 |
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Fair ride breaks apart; ten injured
(July 16, 2010) - At the Calgary Stampede, an annual fair and rodeo held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, ten people were injured when a fair ride called the Scorpion broke apart.The ride consists of three arms. At the end of each arm is a wheel-like structure that carries 8 cars. As the arms whirl, they tilt the wheels of cars up into the air, as the wheels spin and the cars swing. One of the wheels broke off its arm, fell off the ride platform, and crashed into a barrier. Some cars flipped over and fell to the platform where the whirling cars that were still attached to the the ride crashed into them.
Witnesses said that at least three of the ride's cars were seriously damaged, and that the injured riders were either ejected or struck by other cars.
Four riders were treated at the scene and released while six were rushed to area hospitals with more serious injuries, but none that were life-threatening.
The ride is operated by North American Midway Entertainment. It passed a safety inspection just hours before it broke apart.
Man injured in fall from reverse bungee ride
(July 16, 2010) - At the Hegyalja Festival near Tokaj in northeast Hungary,
a 21-year-old man suffered a fractured skull and broken limbs when he fell out
of a reverse-bungee ride, according to police.
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Cable snap leaves 'Rocket' riders dangling 200 feet in the air
(July 16, 2010) - At Divo Ostrov theme park on Krestovsky Island in St. Petersberg, Russia, ten people were left dangling 200 feet in the air after a cable snapped on a ride called Rocket. The passenger carriage was lowered to the ground and rescue workers were able to bring all of the riders to safety. There were no reports of injuries.
The Advocate, July 13, 2010
Teen says roller coaster had problems days before deadly accident |
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Fall from roller coaster kills woman
(July 11, 2010) - At Dixie Landin' amusement park in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a 21-year-old woman fell from a roller coaster and died an hour later from her injuries.The ride, called Xtreme, is a compact spinning roller coaster manufactured in 2000 by Maurer-Söhne of Germany. Its cars, which can accomodate four passengers, spin as they race around the track at speeds of up to 37 miles per hour. Xtreme operated in Europe until it was installed at Dixie Landin' in 2007.
The ride passed a state inspection last month, and initial reports from investigators indicate that no mechanical problems have been found with the ride.
Witnesses said that it appeared the woman fell about 30 feet.
Park officials addressed the accident in a statement made shortly after the woman's death was reported: "We are all saddened by this terrible accident. An investigation by the state fire marshal's office has begun to try and determine the cause. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time."
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Restraints open during ride on looping roller coaster
(July 6, 2010) - At La Ronde theme park in Montreal, Canada, four safety restraints opened suddenly on a looping roller coaster called the Boomerang. The passengers completed their ride without injury, as centrifugal force kept them from falling out.The Boomerang is a common roller coaster type. The train is pulled up a 116-foot incline, then released. It then passes through three inversions -- a cobra roll and a vertical loop -- before it is pulled up another incline, then released, at which time it travels through the inversions in reverse. The restraints opened as the train began its second pass through the inverions. Only centrifugal force prevented the riders from falling out during the inversions. Had the train stalled or malfunctioned during one of the inversions, the result may have been catastrophic.
Park officials said that the mechanism which unlocks the restraints, which is activated only in the loading station, somehow activated during the ride. The ride was closed, but opened a day later after adjustments were made and the ride was reinspected.
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Carnival worker loses leg in roller coaster accident
(June 23, 2010) - At the Sonoma-Marin fair in Petaluma, California, a carnival worker was struck by a roller coaster
train after he entered a restricted area. The accident happened on a small steel roller coaster called the Wacky Worm.
The worker, who was not assigned to work at the ride at the time the accident happened, lost one of his legs below the knee.
The victim is an employee of Midway of Fun, which operates the rides at the fair. A carnival spokesman reported that the employee
"wasn't following procedure."
The California Occupational Safety and Health Administration and local police are investigating the incident, which is being
treated as an occupational injury.
The ride had been cleared to operate by inspectors within hours of the accident.
Boy, 9, drowns in wave pool at Quebec water park
(June 23, 2010) - At Quebec's Mont Saint-Sauveur water park, a nine-year-old boy drowned in a wave pool. He was rushed to the hospital,
where he was pronounced dead. The boy was visiting the park with classmates on a school field trip celebrating the last day of school.
Ride owner, inspector convicted in 2006 Orbiter accident
(June 22, 2010) - The owner and inspector of a faulty fairground ride have been convicted of health and safety breaches after two women
needed hospital treatment after being flung from it. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) brought a prosecution against both the owner
and the inspector of the Orbiter ride at Moxley Park Fairground in Bilston, West Midlands for breaching health and safety regulations.
The accident happened on May 6, 2006. A car carrying the women broke off from the ride shortly after it started. The car fell about 20 feet
to the ground and broke apart as it spun across the ground for 30 feet until it crashed into a food stand. The women were thrown out of the car
as it broke apart. They were hospitalized with serious head, neck, back, and spinal injuries. Some witnesses were treated at the scene for shock.
Thomas Denzil Jones, the ride's owner, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 5 of the 1998 Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations.
He was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay £5,000 costs.
Fairground Inspection Services, the company tasked with carrying out safety tests on the ride, pleaded guilty to breaching section 3(1) of the
1974 Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was ordered to pay £35,000 in compensatory damages.
An investigation showed the there was a failure of a weld that held the car to the ride. Despite receiving an annual inspection, which took place
just weeks before the incident, the problem was not detected.
HSE inspector Gareth Langston said: "These two young women suffered serious injuries but the results could have been much, much worse. If the ride
had been at full speed, we could have been looking at a fatal incident, with possible injuries to other passengers on the ride as well as onlookers.
"As the ride's owner, Mr Jones had a duty to ensure his ride was maintained in good working order, while Fairground Inspection Services had a duty to carry
out a thorough inspection. They both failed in their responsibilities and have left these two young women with life-long injuries."
In November 2009, Fairground Inspection Services admitted that it failed to properly examine a similar ride in Suffolk, breaching Section 3(1) of the
1974 Health and Safety at Work etc. Act. It was then ordered to pay a £8,000 fine with £1,000 costs.
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Woman hospitalized after bungee jump accident
(May 7, 2010) - In Hammer Springs, New Zealand, a woman slipped from a bungee cord
during a bungee jump and fell into a river. According to one report, the accident
happened when one of the woman's shoes slipped off during the second bounce. She
was hospitalized with serious injuries but was expected to recover.
The jump was operated by Thrillseekers Adventures.
Police are investigating.
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Woman strangled to death in go-kart accident
(April 8, 2010) - A 27-year-old woman was strangled to death after her head dress
became tangled in a go-kart axle at high speed. The accident happened at Port Stephen's Go-Kart track.
Witnesses said that the woman struggled to free herself but lost control of the car,
which crashed into a wall.
WorkCover is investigating.
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Another inflatable goes flying; 3 children injured
(April 4, 2010) - In El Paso, Texas, a sudden gust of wind tossed an inflatable hundreds of feet
through the air, with three children inside. The children were hospitalized with serious injuries.
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Boy injured in fall from ride at Miami-Dade County Fair, mom says
Sun Sentinel, 3/30/10
Sun Sentinel, 3/30/10
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"You see more injuries on inflatables than almost any other amusement ride you can think
of -- more than roller coasters."
- Jim Barber, spokesman for the National
Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials
Inflatables' owner says misuse had role in death
Wichita Eagle, 3/28/10
Safety concerns at inflatable moonbounce complex rise after child's death
Wichita Eagle, 3/24/10
"You see more injuries on inflatables than almost any other amusement ride you can think
of -- more than roller coasters."
- Jim Barber, spokesman for the National
Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials
Inflatables' owner says misuse had role in death
Wichita Eagle, 3/28/10
Safety concerns at inflatable moonbounce complex rise after child's death
Wichita Eagle, 3/24/10
"You see more injuries on inflatables than almost any other amusement ride you can think of -- more than roller coasters."
- Jim Barber, spokesman for the National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials
Wichita Eagle, 3/24/10
Boy, 5, dies after fall from inflatable
(March 22, 2010) - At Pure Entertainment amusement facility in Wichita, Kansas, a 4-year-old boy suffered a fatal head injury when he fell from an inflatable attraction and landed on concrete. He was rushed to hospital, where he died within hours.Witnesses reported that the child and his parents may have been using the attraction improperly.
"It just picked up the whole thing and it went in the air and into the water."
- 26-year-old Rashetta Law, victim's mother
"It just picked up the whole thing and it went in the air and into the water."
- 26-year-old Rashetta Law, victim's mother
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