Most Notable Accident

[oriolat]

Maybe it's personal, but I'd say PNDOL collapsing at Tibidabo.

 

It's not a train derailing, it's a whole ride (almost 120 feet of tower) coming down, while in motion. Not only that, but also crashing into the neighbouring ride Mina d'Or, the park's log flume.

[Lt.No0b]

I would have to say, with what I've read, the Mindbender at Galaxyland. After the second loop the back car came off the track and started fishtailing which caused a few people to be flung from the back car. It came to the third loop and couldn't make it, due to it losing a lot of speed. It started going back through the previous track until it finally ran into a concrete support struckture, killing three and nearly killing a fourth. (all this info was gathered from wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindbender_%28Galaxyland%29#Crash)

 

Another notable one that was caused due to the rider and not the park was at Waterworld USA(I'm not sure if we are counting water parks here so if not sorry, but i still consider this horrific ). A graduating high school class was trying to beat the record for most students on a waterslide at one time. They all ignored the life guard and rushed onto the slide filling it to near quadruple recommended capacity. The water slide then collapsed killing one girl and injuring 30 more. I found out about this from a newstory a few years back while watching youtube. heres a link to what happened http://articles.cnn.com/1997-06-03/us/9706_03_water.slide_1_water-slide-waterworld-usa-banzai-pipeline?_s=PM:US

[Jay20016]

Another notable one that was caused due to the rider and not the park was at Waterworld USA(I'm not sure if we are counting water parks here so if not sorry, but i still consider this horrific ). A graduating high school class was trying to beat the record for most students on a waterslide at one time. They all ignored the life guard and rushed onto the slide filling it to near quadruple recommended capacity. The water slide then collapsed killing one girl and injuring 30 more. I found out about this from a newstory a few years back while watching youtube. heres a link to what happened http://articles.cnn.com/1997-06-03/us/9706_03_water.slide_1_water-slide-waterworld-usa-banzai-pipeline?_s=PM:US

 

I remember that as well, and I'd be hard pressed to call it an accident...

[Lt.No0b]

I remember that as well, and I'd be hard pressed to call it an accident...

 

Sorry. I know that it was not the park's fault, but the riders. I consider it an accident due the students not intending to break the ride and the ride not being designed to support that much weight. No disrespect, that's just my viewpoint.

[PSiRockin]

^It's rediculous how the park, and WhiteWaterWest, had to pay out in the lawsuit.

[Tmcdllr]

So then what were they intending to do? Anybody with half a brain should know not to do something like that. They intended to cause problems which resulted in the ride falling, therefore it is their fault as their neglegence caused that to happen.

[Lt.No0b]

So then what were they intending to do? Anybody with half a brain should know not to do something like that. They intended to cause problems which resulted in the ride falling, therefore it is their fault as their neglegence caused that to happen.

 

Alright, I'm going to agree with you there. They were being stupid end of story. Just call it a lack of age thing (I'm pretty sure 40 trumps 18 in this case). I still believe that it was a horrific story though.

[Tmcdllr]

So then what were they intending to do? Anybody with half a brain should know not to do something like that. They intended to cause problems which resulted in the ride falling, therefore it is their fault as their neglegence caused that to happen.

 

Alright, I'm going to agree with you there. They were being stupid end of story. Just call it a lack of age thing (I'm pretty sure 40 trumps 18 in this case). I still believe that it was a horrific story though.

 

Yeah it was awful, terrible, horrible, all of that, but once again stupidity rears its ugly head, and I agree with you about the age thing.

 

I remember seeing that story on the news here, it was just, terrible. Eventhough they were complete idiots I would not wish that on anybody. I don't know, or want to, what would be worse, being involved in an accident like that or the Mindbender one.

[XYZ]

There was a time when a mentally disables kid opened his harness and fell off Drop Zone in Great America, killing himself.

 

EDIT: I edited it to make everyone happy.

Edited July 19, 2011 by XYZ

[KDcoasterMAN]

I know a few.....

 

KD Effiel Tower Jumper

[Cyber.Fiber]

There was a time when a retarded kid opened his harness and fell off Drop Zone in Great America, killing himself.

 

He must have been scared of heights.

 

Not only is your wording selection in referencing the victim as "a retarded kid" very politically incorrect, but your facts are wrong also. I thought that I was reading a post in the "Stupidest things the "GP" have said" thread.

 

Here are the correct facts regarding the incident, which was deemed unsolved with no explanation to how the boy fell:

 

The incident occurred on August 22th 1999, and after much inspection, they were never able to find a malfunction that resulted in the boys death. The harness remained closed for the duration of the ride and the boy met the requirements.

 

 

Boy, 12, killed in fall from ride at Paramount's Great America

 

(Sunday, August 22, 1999) - A twelve-year-old boy was killed after he fell out of the Drop Zone Stunt Tower at Paramount's Great America theme park in Santa Clara, California. The ride, a freefall ride manufactured by Intamin AG of Switzerland, features cars which are hoisted up a 224-foot tall tower and then drop 129 feet, reaching speeds of up to 62 miles per hour. The cars are floorless, open-air cabins, and allow the riders legs to dangle beneath them throughout the ride. Electromagnetic brakes bring the cars to a gradual stop at the base of the tower.

Park officials say that the victim's shoulder harness was locked, and that it remained in place during the accident. They also say that the boy had met ride safety requirements.

 

Park officials have asked representatives from Intamin to help them investigate the accident. The Santa Clara police department is also investigating. The ride is closed indefinitely.

 

Drop Zone death: no charges, no explanation

 

(Friday, November 5, 1999) - The Santa Clara District Attorney's Office has announced that no charges will be filed in connection with August's Drop Zone Stunt Tower accident at Paramount's Great America theme park. The investigation of the accident, which left 12-year-old Joshua Smurphat dead, yielded no explanation of how the accident happened.

"How he fell from a ride equipped with a contoured seat and an over-the-shoulder safety harness is not known," says a police report which suggests that Smurphat fell from the 129-foot tall ride as his car was descending in a freefall.

 

Gayle Ando, general manager of Paramount's Great America, says that park investigators were also unable to make any conclusions about the cause of the accident. "Despite our extensive investigation to date, we may never know exactly what happened to Joshua."

 

The Drop Zone Stunt Tower reopens Saturday.

 

Now you know the correct facts of the accident and now know that its pretty unacceptable in most places to use the word "Retarded", especially in a situation where you ARE talking about someone who is mentally disabled, I can speak of my own memory of this accident.

 

Even being over in Canada, I have memories of this particular accident. I remember my mother wouldn't allow me to ride Drop Zone at Canada's Wonderland after reading about this accident in a magazine of some sorts while at my grandmother house. I remember clearly my first ride on Drop Zone. My dad wanting to go on it and I refusing to go, scared by the story my mother told me of the accident. I ended up going on it (After being called a chicken. Nice dad eh? ), and coming back to Hanna-Barbara Land to meet up with my mom and sister, and telling her that I was "Not Dead". She was not happy.

 

I think that the most traumatic incident that comes to mind is defiantly the Superman Drop Tower Accident. Just a crazy accident, that could have happened anywhere before the modifications to the safety systems were made.

[Jerrykoala2112]

I know the Mindbender accident was mentioned, but I thought a picture would help make it look more intense. Three people were killed

 

[Tmcdllr]

Is that a body?

[Lt.No0b]

Is that a body?

 

I think it might be. Looking at the photo only makes the accident seem worse .

[amy_mel]

It is. There's news footage from the accident on YouTube that is pretty graphic. The survivor of the rear car spoke to the reporter something like 20 years later I think. Very sad.

[Cyber.Fiber]

Heres the link to the video:

 

[ilrider]

When Bert the Conquerer rode Mindbender this season, he called the final loop "infamous," and didn't go into detail.

[_koppen]

In France, can't remember the name of the park, the car of a Fabbri Booster just loosened at the top of 40m, at full speed of 90 km/h. Two persons were killed, and the other two were paralyzed.

 

Edit: Fête des Loges is the tivoli's name.

[XYZ]

There was a time when a retarded kid opened his harness and fell off Drop Zone in Great America, killing himself.

 

He must have been scared of heights.

 

Not only is your wording selection in referencing the victim as "a retarded kid" very politically incorrect, but your facts are wrong also. I thought that I was reading a post in the "Stupidest things the "GP" have said" thread.

 

Here are the correct facts regarding the incident, which was deemed unsolved with no explanation to how the boy fell:

 

The incident occurred on August 22th 1999, and after much inspection, they were never able to find a malfunction that resulted in the boys death. The harness remained closed for the duration of the ride and the boy met the requirements.

 

 

Boy, 12, killed in fall from ride at Paramount's Great America

 

(Sunday, August 22, 1999) - A twelve-year-old boy was killed after he fell out of the Drop Zone Stunt Tower at Paramount's Great America theme park in Santa Clara, California. The ride, a freefall ride manufactured by Intamin AG of Switzerland, features cars which are hoisted up a 224-foot tall tower and then drop 129 feet, reaching speeds of up to 62 miles per hour. The cars are floorless, open-air cabins, and allow the riders legs to dangle beneath them throughout the ride. Electromagnetic brakes bring the cars to a gradual stop at the base of the tower.

Park officials say that the victim's shoulder harness was locked, and that it remained in place during the accident. They also say that the boy had met ride safety requirements.

 

Park officials have asked representatives from Intamin to help them investigate the accident. The Santa Clara police department is also investigating. The ride is closed indefinitely.

 

Drop Zone death: no charges, no explanation

 

(Friday, November 5, 1999) - The Santa Clara District Attorney's Office has announced that no charges will be filed in connection with August's Drop Zone Stunt Tower accident at Paramount's Great America theme park. The investigation of the accident, which left 12-year-old Joshua Smurphat dead, yielded no explanation of how the accident happened.

"How he fell from a ride equipped with a contoured seat and an over-the-shoulder safety harness is not known," says a police report which suggests that Smurphat fell from the 129-foot tall ride as his car was descending in a freefall.

 

Gayle Ando, general manager of Paramount's Great America, says that park investigators were also unable to make any conclusions about the cause of the accident. "Despite our extensive investigation to date, we may never know exactly what happened to Joshua."

 

The Drop Zone Stunt Tower reopens Saturday.

 

Now you know the correct facts of the accident and now know that its pretty unacceptable in most places to use the word "Retarded", especially in a situation where you ARE talking about someone who is mentally disabled, I can speak of my own memory of this accident.

 

Even being over in Canada, I have memories of this particular accident. I remember my mother wouldn't allow me to ride Drop Zone at Canada's Wonderland after reading about this accident in a magazine of some sorts while at my grandmother house. I remember clearly my first ride on Drop Zone. My dad wanting to go on it and I refusing to go, scared by the story my mother told me of the accident. I ended up going on it (After being called a chicken. Nice dad eh? ), and coming back to Hanna-Barbara Land to meet up with my mom and sister, and telling her that I was "Not Dead". She was not happy.

 

I think that the most traumatic incident that comes to mind is defiantly the Superman Drop Tower Accident. Just a crazy accident, that could have happened anywhere before the modifications to the safety systems were made.

 

Drop Tower: Scream Zone

In August 1999, a 12-year-old boy who was mentally disabled fell from the tower and died. The victim's family claimed the harness was not locked properly. An investigation was inconclusive and no charges were filed.[7]

From "Incidents at Cedar Fair parks" page in Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incidents_at_Cedar_Fair_parks

 

I do not know what you're talking about that my facts are wrong, the kid was mentally disabled as shown on Wikipedia. I know it was odd that he could open the harness.

 

I did not mean to offend you in any way.

[Spideyfreak]

kid was mentally disabled as shown on Wikipedia

 

 

Because we all know there is no way the public can go and edit Wiki articles...

[gisco]

If it is on Wiki, it must be true!

[XYZ]

Fine, because of the pickyness of this thread, here's another link: mytown.mercurynews.com/archives/sunnyvalesun/08.25.99/drop-zone-9934.html

[chetCO]

Not really an accident per-say ( those there was an "accident story" that goes with this..stand by ) anyway on July 11, 1990 a massive storm complete with baseball size hail and very heavy rain slammed into both Elitch Gardens & Lakeside Amusement Parks. 47 people were injured at Elitches alone when many of those were stranded on the rides only to have the power fail during the storm. Despite the big storm most if not all the injuries were cuts, bumps and BRUISES. Nobody died as a result of the storm.

 

....now part two....

 

Later on that year ( 1990 ) a local Denver woman in need of quick cash decided to tell here story to the National Enquirer. Yes THAT National Enquirer. In the article she claimed that while she was "almost killed" on the ferris wheel at Elitches, she not only saw the train jump the track on the Mr. Twister coaster but that she saw four bodies being thrown to their deaths from the coaster. She also added that Denver's KMGH Television channel 7 had footage of the accident ( and the dead bodies ) and that both the Denver police and employees of Eltich Gardens were going around the park making guests sign some kind of a waiver telling them to "say nothing" in exchange for free season passes to Elitches and other Denver area attractions. Ah didn't take very long after the National Enquirer published the story the woman had told was a made up just to earn to some cash. I don't recall just how much money the Enquire paid this woman but whatever it was she didn't keep it as she was forced to settle out of court with Elitches and KMGH-TV due to her lying about then in a public arena...and I am sure the Enquirer had received a share too.

 

Here is a link about the storm in question....

 

 

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/bou/include/his.php?month=JUL&dayOfMonth=11

[palmerleeberry]

Okay, I have two accidents from two different parks, but they were off from the same type of coaster.

 

200? - Six Flags New England - Superman Ride of Steel - A handicaped man that rode in the front was thrown from the ride during the ride's final bunny hops. He had a huge belly which prevented the restraints to fully lock him into his seat. It caused the train to add tighter seatbelts and restraints, thus only skinny-winks could ride it.

 

This year - Darien Lake - Ride of Steel - A Iraqi vet was thrown from the ride due to his amputee leg and half-a-hip that made the tighter lap restraints useless in keeping him in his seat.

 

So far, no tragedy like that has happened to the only Ride of Steel coaster remaining, and that's located in Six Flags America.

 

Perhaps those coasters should do away with the tighter lap restraints and use the over-the-shoulder harnesses that coasters such as The Kingsta Ka and the Intimidator uses.

 

"I'll tell you: if a certain someone doesn't get off this computer right now and join me in bed, then that person will suffer an accident - and it won't be pretty!!!"

[viking86]

For me its the Mindbender accident. The picture of the accident site with the covered body on the ground just creeps the heck outta me.