verticalzero Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 Sorry if this has already been posted: Taken from CNN News: A Verona man shattered a vertebra in his back on a thrill ride that crashed and will spend up to three months in a back brace, according to authorities. Steven Schroeder said he was spinning around in an Octopus ride with his 9-year-old daughter, Mary, at the Price County Fair when the tub they were in crashed and he was tossed out Aug. 18. "It was the experience from hell," Schroeder said after he returned home following a 10-day hospital stay. "I was very concerned about my daughter when this was going on. I was in excruciating pain. I couldn't get to her, and I could hear her crying in the background." Schroeder, 57, the technical director of the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, said he'll be out of work indefinitely. His daughter, who wasn't seriously injured, has since complained of headaches and whiplash, he said. At least one other person complained of head and neck pain as a result of the ride failure, according to a Price County sheriff's report. The accident at the county fair in Phillips, four hours north of Madison, is under investigation by the state Department of Commerce. Tony Hozeny, a Commerce spokesman, said the agency could not comment on the accident or the ride because the investigation is not complete. The inspection process and the amusement ride industry in Wisconsin has been in the limelight recently after the death of a 16-year-old Menasha teenager in July. Dan Barbacovi, an owner of Spectrum Entertainment of Ironwood, Mich., which owns the ride, said the accident happened because a knuckle holding one of the ride's arms failed, causing the arm carrying the tub to fall. "It was a freak accident," Barbacovi said. "I've asked myself if I could've done anything to prevent this accident, and I couldn't." The knuckle was not receiving grease and had worn down through recent use, the Price County sheriff's report said. Barbacovi said it's hard to see if there is wear on those knuckles. The ride operator told police he had last greased all the machine's joints when he set up the ride three days before the incident. Barbacovi said the injury is his company's first serious accident. "I haven't slept since it happened," he said. "It's the worst thing that's happened in my life." Mark Doman, principal engineer for the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth Commercial Enforcement Division, said the ride passed Michigan state inspection. A recent engineering analysis performed by a Green Bay company showed the ride was in good shape, Barbacovi said, but from now on, the company will take apart the knuckles each week. Wisconsin officials wouldn't say if the ride had been inspected by state officials this year, and state electronic records are antiquated. Greg Jones, administrator for Safety and Buildings, the state division that oversees ride inspections, said that state ride inspectors usually make it a priority to check out Spectrum Entertainment because the company tends to have a lot of violations. Schroeder said that the accident was the most painful experience of his life and his daughter has vowed to never go on an amusement ride again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobra_roll06 Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 Schroeder said that the accident was the most painful experience of his life and his daughter has vowed to never go on an amusement ride again. Man I also hate it when people say this, but this time not so much. It wasn't there fault and it was very unfortunate of them to experience something like this. I guess since he is a Dad, he is just trying to protect his daughter. By the sounds of it he nows see amusement parks in a new light and doesn't trust them at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carnage Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 By the sounds of it he nows see amusement parks in a new light and doesn't trust them at all. Do you blame him though? It's human nature to be scared of something after such a serious accident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginzo Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 Do you blame him though? It's human nature to be scared of something after such a serious accident. Yeah, it's just the basic survival instinct kicking in. If I had a vertebra crushed on a ride, I'd probably swear off rides entirely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobra_roll06 Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 By the sounds of it he nows see amusement parks in a new light and doesn't trust them at all. Do you blame him though? It's human nature to be scared of something after such a serious accident. Oh no I don't blame him at all for how he feels. Most people would feel the same. I don't no how I would react if this happened to me. Since I do have a pure love for theme parks, I think it would take time and courage for me to ride them again. But you never know until something happens. (Touch wood it won't!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Team Thriller Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 DANG! I don't know how I'd react! Since I truly love roller coasters, thrill rides, and theme parks. I think I would still love them, but DANG! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lil jimmy norton Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 That is just horrible, thats why I don't go on fair rides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christianscoasters Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 This is what makes me mad. The majority of accidents are in a fair/carnival or are because someone did something stupid! Fairs have temporary rides, so obviously they aren't as safe as permanent amusement rides. Besides, being on any ride or roller coaster is safer than driving a car, riding a bike, jumping on a trampoline, and so much more! I really dislike when people don't trust amusement rides. I remember my grandma telling me a story where she and my great-aunt were on a ride, and the car almost became unattached, luckily, he stopped the ride and they got off okay, but after that, she went to the next ride! I would be too freaked out to get near a ride after that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raptorcrew2002 Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 How could anyone be mad at someone for personally being scared from a situation? Granted everyone is different. Auto accidents, climbing, etc. Some people can shake things off quickly others cannot. As long as they don’t round around in circles waving their hands in the air yelling everyone is going to die on these things so be it. My personality I would have redone whatever just freaked me out asap. Well minus the accident part hopefully, but if it did happen twice then I would probably walk away for a while before my third attempt. I thought they had gotten much more stick with checking the Oct. & Spider, and Monster rides for hairlines? Didn’t the state of Florida ban them for a time if memory is correct, due to structural failures? (This is years back) As for fairs, hell carnies scare me far more then any duck tape, hand tool assembled portable ride ever could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobra_roll06 Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 As for fairs, hell carnies scare me far more then any duck tape, hand tool assembled portable ride ever could. Amen my brother! I wonder what Jahan's views are on carnies after getting laid by one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carnage Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 Granted everyone is different. Auto accidents, climbing, etc. Some people can shake things off quickly others cannot. Also in this case it's the child that is swearing off rides. Children are much more impresionalbe then adults. I'm sure all of us have some sort of fear which can be traced back to something that happened to us as a child. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrygator Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 ^I'm scared of red headed Canabian men who wear women's one piece bathing suits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carnage Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 ^ Do I haunt your dreams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Peck Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Its too bad. There have been a few indicents lately with Spider arms failing. There is a way to correct them, but it costs about $90,000 to replace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goliath513 Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 By the sounds of it he nows see amusement parks in a new light and doesn't trust them at all. Do you blame him though? It's human nature to be scared of something after such a serious accident. When I was 8, I was nearly killed on an alpine slide accident. I still ride alpine slides whenever I get the chance. Didn't scare me away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNPL Rick Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 This is what makes me mad. The majority of accidents are in a fair/carnival or are because someone did something stupid! Fairs have temporary rides, so obviously they aren't as safe as permanent amusement rides. I really dislike when people don't trust amusement rides. ! Interesting logic at work there. Travelling rides are subject to more stringent testing, than there static park cousins, Also they are pulled down every other week or so, and any potential problems spotted, same goes with the build ups, problems spotted and rectified. The rides are often owned by the person doing the building, so makes sense he/she isnt going to take unnecessary risks when it comes to your well being. problems do arise, parts do fail, but to say travelling machines are not as safe as static ones, is pure madness. Rick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Long Posted September 9, 2007 Share Posted September 9, 2007 This is what makes me mad. The majority of accidents are in a fair/carnival or are because someone did something stupid! Fairs have temporary rides, so obviously they aren't as safe as permanent amusement rides. Besides, being on any ride or roller coaster is safer than driving a car, riding a bike, jumping on a trampoline, and so much more! I really dislike when people don't trust amusement rides. I remember my grandma telling me a story where she and my great-aunt were on a ride, and the car almost became unattached, luckily, he stopped the ride and they got off okay, but after that, she went to the next ride! I would be too freaked out to get near a ride after that! Having worked as a "Carnie" and at a major theme park in my youth I can tell you. I trust a reliable carnival ride company far more than a stationary theme park ride in general. If properly maintained and set up these carnival rides are safer than some theme park flat ride that has not had any more inspection than a once over daily by some ride op and a yearly inspection by the state. I my case when we set up carnival rides, we did a close inspection of all nuts, bolts, clips, harnesses, restraining devices - anything lacking was replaced or repaired immediately. I can also say from experience that at the theme park I worked, we never really checked anything beyond looking at it briefly. an inattentive ride op is as bad as any "Carnie." Granted - finding a reliable carnival ride company is the key and difficult. Kevin Long Fat old Guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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