mcjaco Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 Worker at Great America dies after falling 40 feet A worker trying to dismantle a ride Tuesday morning at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee died after falling more than 40 feet, officials said. Thomas Lee, 46, of Pleasant Prairie, Wis., was part of a Campanella & Sons crew taking apart the Splash Water Falls ride at the theme park when he fell about 9 a.m., officials said. Lake County Coroner Richard Keller said Lee suffered head and chest trauma in the accident. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has launched an investigation to see if appropriate safety measures were in place, Keller said. Gurnee Fire Department Battalion Chief Bob Heraver said it appeared that the ride, in which a boat drops about 50 feet into water, was intact and structurally sound. Lee was on top of the structure with a crew of about six to eight workers when the accident happened, Heraver said. "We don't know how he fell -- he was working with the guys and they said he fell," Heraver said, possibly by sliding off or losing his footing. "Nobody really saw exactly what happened until it started to happen, we don't know if it was a slip, a trip or something gave way," Heraver said. He said a harness was found attached to Lee's body, but he said it was unclear if it was properly secured while he was working. Lee was rushed to Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where he was pronounced dead, according to Keller. Lee was working for a company that was removing the ride from the theme park, making way for future expansion, said Six Flags Great American spokeswoman Brooke Gabbert. Gurnee Police Department officials could not be reached for comment late Tuesday. In June 2004, a Great America maintenance worker died after being struck by a roller coaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplepills Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 I knew the media has been right all along telling us theme parks are just plain dangerous. Seriously, sad news though, symapthy to his family and friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjaco Posted March 12, 2008 Author Share Posted March 12, 2008 This is typical American journalism at it's finest. The headline reads "Great America Worker" but then they go on to state he works for a construction company. Two completely different entities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginzo Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 This is typical American journalism at it's finest. The headline reads "Great America Worker" but then they go on to state he works for a construction company. Two completely different entities. Not really a big deal. The article was not sensationalized. Pretty decent considering some of the trash my local news shovels. WHERE TO FIND THE CHEAPEST GAS!!! The headline did its job. It got you to read the article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teacups Make Me Sick Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 ^I agree... We are splitting hairs when an article headlines "worker" instead of third party contractor.... All in all, sad news...my thoughts and prayers go out to the family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knottslover77 Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 This ia very sad and my heart goes out to his family. --Jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjaco Posted March 12, 2008 Author Share Posted March 12, 2008 ^I agree... We are splitting hairs when an article headlines "worker" instead of third party contractor.... All in all, sad news...my thoughts and prayers go out to the family. We're not splitting hairs. How many people in the GP are going to put one and one together. It's going to stick in their minds that it's another safety issue with Six Flags. Not that it was a construction company. As for cheap gas. I'd love to know. It went up .20 cents from yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsalas08 Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 We now know that they have started to dismantle Splash Water Falls. Sorry if it was common knowledge that the ride is already being torn down I assumed it would be SBNO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rollocoast Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 Campanella construction company? I wonder if a certain *celebrity* enthusiast is related? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teacups Make Me Sick Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 We're not splitting hairs. How many people in the GP are going to put one and one together. It's going to stick in their minds that it's another safety issue with Six Flags. Not that it was a construction company. As for cheap gas. I'd love to know. It went up .20 cents from yesterday. I think that the story reads the same whether the headline be a SF Worker/SF Contractor. If the "GP" are most likely going to read the story if the headline catches there eye. Most people would read a headline like that and want to read on b/c of any personal associations they might have with that ride that the article is referring to. Such as: Is this something that I have ever road on? "So-and-so" go to that park...is it something that they should be aware of? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hercules Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 But the point is that it is not a Six Flags contractor. The person was not directly employeed by Six Flags. He was a part of a third party that was hired to do the job. He was employeed by the third party contractor. That reads a lot differently than saying the person was a Six Flags employee/worker/contractor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjaco Posted March 12, 2008 Author Share Posted March 12, 2008 ^ EXACTLY. ^^ By the way, how are teacups possesive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teacups Make Me Sick Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 ^Think what you'd like... My title, my prerogative. Go flame on w/someone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginzo Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 We're not splitting hairs. How many people in the GP are going to put one and one together. It's going to stick in their minds that it's another safety issue with Six Flags. Not that it was a construction company. Headlines are supposed to be as short as possible. That's just how writing works. Short sentences have the most power. A worker trying to dismantle a ride Tuesday morning at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee died after falling more than 40 feet, officials said. Thomas Lee, 46, of Pleasant Prairie, Wis., was part of a Campanella & Sons crew taking apart the Splash Water Falls ride at the theme park when he fell about 9 a.m., officials said. That fact that he worked for another firm is right there in the second sentence. I think the average person is able to read two sentences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haux Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 This is typical American journalism at it's finest. The headline reads "Great America Worker" but then they go on to state he works for a construction company. Two completely different entities. It says, "Worker at Great America," you clod! Jeez. You pasted the article, and you don't even get that part right. Then you try to blame it on "typical American journalism." Give me a break. And it's not inaccurate. He was a worker, he was at Great America. What's the deal? You're wrong. Simple as that. Also, you used the wrong "its" in saying it is "journalism at it's finest." Journalism at it is finest? That doesn't make sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginzo Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 This is typical American journalism at it's finest. The headline reads "Great America Worker" but then they go on to state he works for a construction company. Two completely different entities. It says, "Worker at Great America," you clod! Jeez. You pasted the article, and you don't even get that part right. Then you try to blame it on "typical American journalism." Give me a break. And it's not inaccurate. He was a worker, he was at Great America. What's the deal? You're wrong. Simple as that. Also, you used the wrong "its" in saying it is "journalism at it's finest." Journalism at it is finest? That doesn't make sense. Play nice. Matt is right that the media typically creates false hysteria about the amusement industry. I just don't think that's what's going on here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterGuy06 Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 To me, I read it as a SFGam worker dying. What's so wrong with putting "Contractor dies at Great America" as the headline? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haux Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 To me, I read it as a SFGam worker dying. What's so wrong with putting "Contractor dies at Great America" as the headline?There are a number of reasons that might not have been the headline. Maybe it didn't fit in the space alloted in the actual newspaper, and it wasn't changed online. I didn't read it as Great America worker dying, though I see how that can be confused. Bah. I just get this way because I am a part of the American media, so when people get all worked up over little things like this, I get worked up too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 Come on guys, no reason to argue over this. Yes the media often sensationalizes stuff like this, this wasn't too terrible though. Let's focus on the poor guy that died and his family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haux Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 ^ You're right. I'll stop derailing. It does suck that he fell. It says a he was using a harness, but they're not sure what happened. I wonder what happens now? I'm sure they'll investigate to see if it was improperly secured or if it broke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjaco Posted March 12, 2008 Author Share Posted March 12, 2008 Play nice. Matt is right that the media typically creates false hysteria about the amusement industry. I just don't think that's what's going on here. When the first response is "wow, theme parks are unsafe," I wanted to point out that it wasn't necessarily a SF employee. Not turn this into war of professional journalism. Take a chill pill people. I'm not one to start flame wars. EDIT: They changed the headline since I posted this morning. Worker AT Great America With a harness, I'm a bit confused on how he'd fall. I guess from the reports, his co-workers all saw him fall. Obviously very sad, for his family. And as pointed out, this certainly confirms the removal of Splash Waterfalls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterNut17 Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 My local news station gave a brief report on it. I would post a link, but I can't find it anywhere! It was only a quick thing, but it covered the story pretty well. Sad news. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cycamps Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 I didn't even know that they started dismantling it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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