spaceace12 Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 Three children and a woman were taken to a hospital after being jolted on a ride Thursday afternoon at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, authorities said. Gurnee Fire Department Battalion Chief Robert Heraver said the incident occurred about 4:30 p.m. on the Orbit ride. He said no one was seriously injured. “As the Orbit was coming to a stop, they described it as a little bit of a sudden stop,” Heraver said. Heraver said the 34-year-old Chicago woman and the children — a boy and girl, both 10, and an 8-year-old girl — went to a first-aid station before paramedics arrived. All four park guests were taken for treatment at Condell Medical Center in Libertyville. Heraver said two of the children belonged to the woman and that the 10-year-old boy was a family friend. “They had a little bit of neck pain, back pain, that type of thing,” Heraver said. Authorities said Great America employees checked the Orbit and didn’t find any mechanical problems. Great America spokeswoman Brooke Gabbert said the ride was reopened for the rest of the day after the inspection. “It’s operating normally,” Gabbert said. “And we’ve had no other complaints from people today.” Located in the Hometown Square section in the middle of Great America, the Orbit is a flat ride that spins. It also rises and flips riders. http://www.dailyherald.com/news/lakestory.asp?id=336956&cc=k&tc=&t= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pufferfish Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 Interesting. Sounds like whiplash. Were they the only ones riding it at the time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airtime&Gravity Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 I just find it strange that no one else was hurt, but maybe there was something wrong with the cars they were in. The story just seems a little strange, almost as if they have back/neck problems or they like to complain over minor incidents. Now if more were injured, then that would be different, but the fact that the only people who were hurt were from the same group seems strange. Now again, it could be the ride vehicle, but the whole story seems strange. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjaco Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 I was thinking the same thing. Who else was riding? There couldn't of been just four people that experienced this, if they were at least attempting to fill the ride. Which may be a stretch, since I don't think the Orbit is on everyone's "to do" list. At least, it's never on mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
errtyme Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 its not uncommon for the whole "ow my neck hurts, where's the cash" routine to go down I'm sure.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjaco Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 ^ You don't say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenaline_Rush Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 This is stupid, if you want a JOLT on a ride go ride Scorpion at BGA, when in the station to stop your going like 5MPH then all of a sudden just stop so hard it hurts, you hit the lapbar, your neck is thrown forward, your back is straight when it should be curved due to the neck curving, it hurts, not to where I wouldnt ride it but just so to where it hurts! So they should stop complaining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Coaster Girl Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 ^^ Thunderhawk is like that at dorney park, especially if there running 2 trains. You go from fast to stop, not fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missingmusician Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 ^^ Thunderhawk is like that at dorney park, especially if there running 2 trains. You go from fast to stop, not fun. I didn't think Thunderhawk stopped that suddenly. What did make me sad was the trim on the bunnyhill where you would have gotten amazing ejector air. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCody Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 This sounds like a scam to me, especially since a big Six Flags settlement is in the news right now. Why would TWO carts out of all of them cause vague neck and back injuries? And the Orbit is not a herky-jerky ride. I would feel really bad if this turned out to be legit, but something doesn't make sense about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airtime&Gravity Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 ^Exactly, and since it is so easy to fake back and neck injuries, you basically just have to say ow, and since this doesn't seem to be legit, I doubt their "injuries" will hold up in court. I will feel bad if they really were injured, but this whole story just seems like an excuse to get some money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkMeasures Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 That happens all the time on the Orbit. Everytime I have ridden it for the past 5 years it has been like that. I say Six Flags should just order a new enterprise to solve this problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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