StarWars Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 (edited) The Tidal Wave roller coaster at Ocean City, MD had an accident injuring three people. The reporting in this article is not very good, because it mentions that the Tidal Wave, which is a standard Vekoma Boomerang, has no loops. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-oc-roller-coaster-malfunction-20100722,0,7329731.story?track=rss Edited July 23, 2010 by larrygator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
808Freq Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Is it just me, or has this been happening a lot lately? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 That news report was about as terrible as one could possibly be. Doesn't appear to sound too serious though...but it's really hard to tell by reading that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
808Freq Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 (edited) That is certainly good to hear. How do you go from "evacuating the area, treating victims, and accessing damage" to "reopening shortly"? Edited July 23, 2010 by 808Freq Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davisal771 Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Again?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capitalize Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 OK... that was the worst article ever written in relation to a coaster. So we have no idea what happened, how severe it was, or if a Vekoma boomerang has "loops". Very informative... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 OK... that was the worst article ever written Fixed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terdferg Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Wow. That was some of the worst reporting I have ever read. I saw a blurb in the news about restraints opening on the boomerang at LaRonde. I know there is probably nothing to it, just strange that the most recent coaster incidents involved the same type of coaster using the same type of train (OG 80's Arrows). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
808Freq Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Wow. That was some of the worst reporting I have ever read. I saw a blurb in the news about restraints opening on the boomerang at LaRonde. I know there is probably nothing to it, just strange that the most recent coaster incidents involved the same type of coaster using the same type of train (OG 80's Arrows). Wow.. Final Destination called that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarWars Posted July 23, 2010 Author Share Posted July 23, 2010 Tidal Wave is 24 years old, opening in 1986. I wonder how much longer it will last. Even though this incident doesn't "seem" severe, I wonder if it will lead to people wanting the ride to be replaced. If it ever was replaced by another roller coaster, I would love to see a wild mouse/spinner added. Also, in terms of the article, I think the incident must be somewhat severe because the victims were taken to Berlin (not Germany) and Salisbury. For those not aware of the area, Berlin is about 10 miles from OC and Salisbury is a good 30/45 minute drive from OC. Is there no hospital in OC to take the victims in? Or was the accident more severe than the horrible writing let on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terdferg Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 ^they might have requested to go to different hospitals. in my area people opt to go an extra 10 miles than the hospital located in town. doubtful it will be replaced, if it was a major malfunction, i could see a new train, much like when morey's boomerang basically failed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
printersdevil78 Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 (edited) It's not often for reports like this to come in from my neck of the woods (especially considering there are only three "real" coasters in my neck of the woods), but I saw this in today's Baltimore Sun and thought it might be of some interest: A Trimper's amusement park roller coaster on the Ocean City boardwalk injured three people Thursday, a spokesman said. Ocean City Fire Department crews were called to the Tidal Wave ride, located at South 1st Street and South Baltimore Avenue for reports of a fire and people trapped at about 9:30 p.m., said Steve Price, spokesman with the fire department. When officials arrived at the scene, he said there was no fire and the ride was not stuck. But three youths between the ages of 10 and 15 had suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Two of the victims were taken to Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin and the third was taken to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, he said. According to news reports, the person taken to Peninsula Regional possibly suffered neck and back injuries. The area around the ride was evacuated as crews treated the victims and assessed the damage, Price said, but the area was reopened shortly after. The double-loop roller coaster was not reopened, Price said, and the cause for the malfunction is under investigation. The ride will stay closed until it is checked by an amusement park ride safety inspector with the Maryland Department of Labor and Licensing. I heard at one point that the Tidal Wave was supposedly the first Vekoma Boomerang on U.S. soil, but I don't know that for a fact (and tend to doubt it). The story mentions that the "area around the ride" was evacuated--Trimper's is only about three blocks large, so that must have been a pretty small area unless they evacuated the entire park, which is highly unlikely. Trimper's has gotten a lot of press over the years on how well it takes care of its rides, many of which are antiques dating back to the 1900s-1940s. I've lived near the park for over 30 years, and this is the first time I can remember a malfunction there that's been large enough to draw media attention. EDIT: Oops, sorry about the duplicate subject post. I did a search (honest), and didn't see it in the results. Thanks for the merge! Edited July 23, 2010 by printersdevil78 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capitalize Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 The first boomerang in the world was Sea Serpent in Wildwood, New Jersey I believe. The story got mentioned on Elliot in the Morning here in DC, but of course they had nothing to add that wasn't mentioned in the awful article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Band-Aid Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 If there was supposedly a fire, how did it start? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolinacaniac Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Even though the article was very poorly written, I think it at least got the point across that there was no fire when crews arrived. Unless I read it wrong, which wouldn't be to unlikely since the article is that bad. -Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 So the ride didn't get stuck, there was no malfunction and three people suffered back injuries after riding a Vekoma!?!? How is this news?!! I always suffer back injuries when riding a Vekoma! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medic738 Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Here's the link to the local TV station coverage - just an article, sorry no video (we are so backwoods as far as news is concerned, people are more interested by when the parking meters go in effect at the beach than they are anything else!). http://www.wboc.com/Global/story.asp?S=12857760 Its all second hand but I heard none of the injuries were very serious. I tend to believe that based on the fact that 2 of them were taken to the local hospital at Berlin. OC doesn't have enough year-round population to sustain their own hospital. The closest is Atlantic General in Berlin. As a medic who works locally, I can tell you, we would never take any serious injuries there. The next nearest hospital is in Salisbury MD and received 1 patient. They can handle more serious injuries but probably received the patient from the coaster solely because Berlin would be severly "overwhelmed" after receving 2 patients. ACE Midatlantic has an event coming up at Trimpers this coming weekend. We'll see if the Whirlwind is up and running by then. Trimpers is a very respectible, family run park. Even though some of their rides are a bit old, they are well maintained. I haven't ridden Tidalwave this year yet, but always found it ran as well as could be expected for one of those God forsaken Boomerangs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Band-Aid Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 If there are any injuries, I would think that they are minor head injuries. When I went on this, for a Boomerang it seemed really smooth, until leaving the cobra roll in reverse, when my head hit the headrest hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 I found Tidal Wave to be a better-than-average Boomerang, which isn't saying much. But these rides should be sponsored by the makers of Advil, or perhaps local chiropractors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esvadj Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 I have to agree with the fact it is smoother than some of its counterparts across the country. I actually was in Ocean City last week and rode it twice. I had heard that this is the final year for the Tidal Wave from two different sources early on in the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
printersdevil78 Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 ^I wouldn't doubt it. I heard from a friend at one of the local papers before the park even opened last year that 2009 would be the final year for the Matterhorn, allegedly due to a change in regulations that would have required the cars to be retrofitted with locking lap bars like its counterpart across the park, Himalaya. Of course, the story wasn't big enough to actually see publication, so I don't know if the cause was accurate, but the end result sure was. I can't see the Trimper family rushing to flood a lot of money into the park to replace the coaster considering they've reportedly been toying with selling the park for the past few years. Supposedly that was originally a (successful) ploy to try to push the Maryland historic amusement tax credit legislation into law, but I'm not 100 percent convinced the idea is off the table, especially now that the park's biggest champion, Granville Trimper, is deceased. Hope I'm wrong about that, though. I love Trimper's! EDIT: Just checked the local news website to see if there were any updates. This is my favorite comment on there so far: OK...SO WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED??? no one is saying wether it stoped upside down or if they fell out of it or what actually happened! Yes, the coaster was going through a loop when the laws of gravity ceased to exist, and it stopped dead in the middle. Just like in the cartoons! No one who was injured was wearing a seatbelt or restraints of any kind--because, you know, you don't have to do those things if you don't want to, and no one really checks to see if you do--and they fell out. Head first. Congratulations on blowing this coverup wide open! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esvadj Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 ^I wouldn't doubt it. I heard from a friend at one of the local papers before the park even opened last year that 2009 would be the final year for the Matterhorn, allegedly due to a change in regulations that would have required the cars to be retrofitted with locking lap bars like its counterpart across the park, Himalaya. Of course, the story wasn't big enough to actually see publication, so I don't know if the cause was accurate, but the end result sure was. Matterhorn was just replaced last weekend. A brand new Rock & Roll opened in its place on July 19th. Here is a link to some pictures from another website. So at least they are putting a little money into the park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
printersdevil78 Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 ^Nice! Last time I was there, about six weeks ago, all that was in that spot was a carney game. Maybe I really am wrong and we'll get something awesome to replace the Tidal Wave after all. Jason "I really need to get back to Ocean City again this summer" R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 This park and the spot that Tidal Wave sits would be prime real estate for a really nice, compact Euro Fighter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Band-Aid Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 This park and the spot that Tidal Wave sits would be prime real estate for a really nice, compact Euro Fighter. Or a nice condo Seriously though, I think they should keep the Tidal Wave. Boomerangs aren't very appealing to enthusiasts, but to the general public, they see it and say "that looks awesome". So if Tidal Wave is drawing people to the park, then there wouldn't be a reason to get rid of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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