Busch Gardens Guests Report Minor Injuries from Griffon

[Ben Burnett]

JAMES CITY - Five park guests at Busch Gardens were transported to a hospital with minor injuries sustained while riding the Griffon roller coaster in last night's storm.

 

Bruce Wilson, spokesman for the Williamsburg-area theme park, said around 7:30 p.m. Thursday, employees were deflating an inflated prop when a sudden gust of wind blew it away from its anchor and into the path of the Griffon's cars. The Griffon's train of cars was brought to a stop at the top of the ride's second hill.

 

Wilson said the people who were on the coaster were then "evacuated from the train and treated on site for any injuries." He said five guests requested transportation to Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center.

 

There was no information on the nature or extent of their injuries.

Edited August 6, 2010 by Ben Burnett

[BeemerBoy]

I blame Fabio.

[thrillrider]

It was the intamin cables fault.

[Wes]

Bruce Wilson, spokesman for the Williamsburg-area theme park, said around 7:30 p.m. Thursday, employees were deflating an inflated prop

[Band-Aid]

For some reason, this made me lol

[chadster]

The article doesn't say if the contraption became lodging the wheels or not, but right now, I'm just not seeing how people would've gotten hurt unless this thing slapped them all in the face at 50+ MPH, cuz the second true hill would be the MCBR which if in estop wouldn't cause many injuries as the train's already slowed down quite a bit....curious minds want to know.

[themeparkman25]

delete

Edited January 20, 2011 by themeparkman25

[Dailey Enterprizes]

I instantly thought of this. "As an unwanted result of a recent lawsuit..."

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9EOjizFxFA

[hyyyper]

Griffon was operation during a storm? I thought Busch Gardens closed down every ride once they spot a grey cloud on the horizon.

[Pingu1651]

No, that's Cedar Fair.

 

BGW has bad luck with people getting hit in the face by things.

[braztaz]

I would have laughed if the "prop" was an inflatable goose.

[Midgetman82]

Well, its not the only time someone was hit on a dive coaster. I'm pretty sure you've seen this Sheikra video.

 

[Across_the_Universe]

^That looks like it hurt. A lot.

Back On topic. I just don't get how you can injured from an e-stop. If i recall from when i rode it in May, Griffon isn't going fast enough on the MCBR to cause bodies hitting the OTSR when an e-stop would hppen. Maybe some bruising for a very few who bruise easily. Unless it wasn't on the MCBR, but then that's the only other "hill" Griffon has.

[aceospades1250]

I thought of this legendary moment in rollercoaster history:

[B-RadG]

^That looks like it hurt. A lot.

Back On topic. I just don't get how you can injured from an e-stop. If i recall from when i rode it in May, Griffon isn't going fast enough on the MCBR to cause bodies hitting the OTSR when an e-stop would hppen. Maybe some bruising for a very few who bruise easily. Unless it wasn't on the MCBR, but then that's the only other "hill" Griffon has.

I'm sure their injuries had nothing to do with getting hit by an inflatable at 71 mph

[Sidra]

Everything hurts at 71mph

[Tmcdllr]

"WACKY-WAIVING-INFLATABLE-ARM-FLAILING-TUBEMAN!!!"

[Across_the_Universe]

^That looks like it hurt. A lot.

Back On topic. I just don't get how you can injured from an e-stop. If i recall from when i rode it in May, Griffon isn't going fast enough on the MCBR to cause bodies hitting the OTSR when an e-stop would hppen. Maybe some bruising for a very few who bruise easily. Unless it wasn't on the MCBR, but then that's the only other "hill" Griffon has.

I'm sure their injuries had nothing to do with getting hit by an inflatable at 71 mph

I said nothing about getting hit with an inflatable. I read the article as they got injured when the e-stop occurred, implying they were injured by hitting the restraints. The e-stop occurred on the second hill (most likely the MCBR) because the inflatable had blown onto the tracks. I don't think anyway was actually hit with anything.

[chadster]

the ride has scrubbed off so much speed by the time it hits the mcbr that I just can't fathom anyone getting hurt on it, even if it wasn't a gradual stop and the brakes were clamped closed when the train arrived. Someones looking for a payday (and not the candybar)

[Godwyn]

It wasn't the e-stop that caused the injury, it was from getting hit with the inflatable.

 

From The Virginia Gazette

JAMES CITY -- An inflatable prop at Busch Gardens dislodged in high winds Thursday night and flew in the path of the Griffon rollercoaster.

 

According to WVEC-13, workers at the theme park were deflating the item when a gust of wind carried toward the coaster. It struck one of the moving ride's cars.

 

Several riders were treated at the park. A spokesman told the television station that five guests asked to be taken to a hospital

 

http://vagazette.com/articles/2010/08/07/news//doc4c5c0469adc30144664931.txt

[chadster]

This article is slightly more clear in suggesting that the "balloon" either hit the riders, or in my thoughts, tangled with the train casuing an abrupt slow down.

 

WILLIAMSBURG -- The five people injured aboard The Griffon roller coaster Thursday night at Busch Gardens have been released from the hospital.

 

They were hit by a runaway 25-foot balloon, according to Busch Gardens spokesman Kevin Crossett.

 

The passengers' injuries included sore necks and backs and everyone was able to walk off the ride on their own, he said.

 

Crews were attempting to deflate a balloon, described as a prop, prior to a storm when winds picked it up and carried it into the path of the train.

 

The ride, which was shut down after the incident, underwent maintenance checks and resume operation a little after noon Friday.

 

All four balloons have been removed from the France area of the park while Busch Gardens investigates what it's calling a "weather-related incident."

 

The balloons have been at the park since June when they were installed for "Illuminights."

 

Despite storms in the area, the coaster's wind alarm had not activated so the ride was still running Thursday.

 

Crews are to shut down Griffon when the alarm registers winds of 40 mph.

 

It was not raining and there was not lightning visible at the time, Crossett stated.

 

"Everyone acted admirably and in the interests of the guests," Crossett said. "We are pleased with the response."

 

The rest of the theme park remained open.

 

http://www.wvec.com/news/local/Passengers-on-rollercoaster-hurt-during-storm-100090544.html

[Maximo37]

If I'm reading the original article correctly, it never states that the balloon hit the riders ON the MCBR... it only states that the train was stopped on the "second hill" (aka MCBR...)... So that runaway balloon could have hit those riders at any point prior, from what I understand... eh, I could be wrong though...

 

I blame Fabio.

^^^

OH AND -- Seriously LMAO....

[Evenstar656]

If they're are saying that the main injuries (I would assume that lacerations would be reportable if there were any) were sore necks and backs, those are more than likely a result of the e-stop. If you get hit with something in the face going that fast it's probably going to do a bit more damage...

[rcg19]

Deleted by user

Edited December 29, 2010 by rcg19

[chadster]

here ya go, even more detail...

 

from the reading, not only does it blow away my theory about the MCBR or getting tangled in the trains wheels, but it sounds like they did an EXCELLENT job on the evac, this park really impresses me in many aspects, as this is one of them, top notch maintenance staff.

 

Wind Storm Causes Freak Accident with Busch Coaster By Amber Lester

Friday, August 06, 2010

 

 

Five people were treated for minor injuries after a wind storm disrupted Busch Gardens’ Griffon roller coaster Thursday.

 

At approximately 7:30 p.m., wind whipped through the park, where employees were in the process of closing rides and deflating balloons used in the nightly Illuminights fireworks display. A 25-foot-tall vinyl balloon broke free and flew into a train of cars on the Griffon just as the cars came down from the first drop. The balloon blanketed the front of the train, which was halted just before the second drop.

 

Vice President of Operations Mark Pauls said the ride was built with a scheduled stop at that location, so the cars did not have to slam to halt. The park began evacuating the 27 passengers within six minutes of the stop and completed evacuation by 7:48. To evacuate the floorless coaster, staff positioned moveable staircases beneath the cars.

 

Five riders sought medical treatment for minor injuries, including neck and back pain, an ankle injury and an eye injury. All five were treated at Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center and released.

 

Pauls said the park uses an Internet-based system to monitor weather movement from 10 miles away and 30 miles away. If a bad weather event appears 30 miles away, the park begins the process of closing the river rides, which take longer to close, and begins closing roller coasters when a storm is 10 miles away. In this instance, Pauls said the park was in the process of closing rides when the wind storm came through. The rain that was visible on the monitoring software didn’t start to fall until after the evacuation was complete, he said.

 

http://www.wydaily.com/local-news/4834-wind-storm-causes-freak-accident-with-busch-coaster.html