Worst amusement park tragedy ever?
Asked by
bobisho (
178
)
March 25th, 2009
When you are at an amusement park, what are you afraid of happening on the rides or off that would result in death or some sort of tragedy. (Personally I think of Final Destination III rollercoaster.)
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
28 Answers
I puked once after the rollercoaster, that was a tragedy :s
I don’t really like amusement parks. There are some I like being at and I will go on the less crazy rides (like Disneyland) but in 2005 I went on Space Mountain and it scared the shit out of me…I did not like it at all. And then when I got off I threw up. Never going on anything that level of craziness or more.
But yeah, I always think about something stopping or flying off or someone getting crushed or their foot getting cut off by a snapped cable. (The latter of which was a true story from a Six Flags in Kentucky).
Hugging a random SWEATY guy at disneyland thinking it was my dad.
I hate hate hate roller coasters and most rides. I am a wimp.
I’m afraid those big tower drop type rides won’t slow down at the bottom, and everyone will slam into the ground and die.
I’m afraid a rollercoaster will get stuck upside down on a loop, and everyone will slam into the ground and die.
I’m afraid a rollercoaster will slide off the track on a turn, and everyone will slam into the ground and die.
I’m afraid those swinging in a circle swing rides will have weak chain links, and everyone will slam into the ground and die.
do I need to continue?
My worst personal amusement park tragedy was when a seagull dive bombed me and stole my ice cream. I was only five years old. It was NOT cool. I still don’t really like birds very much.
I am not afraid of roller coasters, but I am not all that impressed with them either. I did really enjoy the couple seconds of weightlessness on Superman: The Ride at Magic Mountain in California. I don’t spend much time worrying about what might happen, I just roll with it. Get it? “roll with it” on a roller coaster.
I have a fear of rafting down Thunder River and the raft flips over, drowning us all.
I believe this actually happened.
I love coasters!
@SuperMouse We have a superman coaster here, once a guy was too big for the ride and the lap bar didn’t catch properly. He didn’t die.
When I was a kid someone was killed on the America Sings ride at Disneyland when the when she was smashed by the rotating sets. Actually, here is an interesting article about all the deaths at Disneyland over the years. In the “Happiest Place on Earth” death doesn’t only come on roller coasters.
I am terrified of the day that all of the mascot actors (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Etc…) at Walt Disney World decide to pull a heist in the park a la Die Hard.
Where the fuck are you now John McClane?!?
This happened to a boy last summer at Six Flags over Atlanta. He apparently jumped over 2 fences to retrieve a hat that he had dropped off a ride.
To quote one of my favorite Mr Show sketches, “I ain’t afraid o’ no rolly coaster!”
I’m afraid my tragedy at the amusement park would be spending all my money on a lousy cheeseburger meal!
It was an E ticket ride. The huge roller coaster with its surprising whip action was called The Jelly Monster. One day, on group day at the park, a crowd from the wisdom church piled on overloading it.
Oh, the humanity. There were screams and curses. Riders were thrown everywhere. Some disappeared. Park workers were squashed by falling riders like jellyfish. Some of them disappeared.
And then, silence. A murmur arose. People stood, dusted themselves off, took stock, looked around at one another. Holding hands, the crowd began to sing, offering remembrances of those lost.
People who lived through it will never forget it. From shared tragedy, came good as new bonds were forged and friendships began.
@Marina – Lurve for stories with happy endings!
@SuperMouse
I still find it not surprising that a lot of those incidents were due to people doing stupid things.
@Dansedescygnes Totally. All the deaths were sad, but they were mostly caused by human stupidity. And the writing was ridiculous… the part about visitors being sheep being led to slaughter! But it was an entertaining read. :)
I was walking through one of those fun houses when I was about 9. We walked over the ramp with the crazy updraft wind. I was wearing a dress. Luckily I was wearing panties, too. Still, quite humiliating.
The tragedy in Louisville at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom where the little girl got her feet cut off by a broken steel cable was horrible.
When my brothers and I were younger riding a roller coaster we spotted a man on the ground who appeared to be sitting under the track. We would yell hello to him everytime we passed…didn’t think much of it. Later that night I learned from the news that an employee there was weed eating and lifted his head a bit too high and whack…he was dead.
$50+ A ticket. THAT’S a tragedy.
@danny – That’s a borderline Darwin Award! Why would one weed whack while a ride is operational??!!
@aprilsimnel – I have thought that too! ...but he was there, a maintenance guy, I am having a tough time finding a news article. It happened in the 90s, and makes me kind of sad to know I was probably yelling “hello” at a dead man.
@SuperMouse – yes…very horrible…I think the man was of young age too.
Whenever I have a chance to visit an amusement park, I tend to avoid thinking about accidental deaths and malfunctioning rides and other tragedies that may or may not occur. I’m mainly there for the amusement. But that’s just me.
@danny – Was it this one?
“Monday, August 14, 1995 – At Morey’s Piers amusement park in Wildwood, New Jersey, a 36-year-old maintenance worker was killed after being struck in the head by the foot of a passenger riding the Great Nor’Easter suspended looping roller coaster. The passenger was also injured.”
.
Edit: I found two more cases of maintenance workers from the 90s:
“Thursday, May 30, 1996 – At Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park in Valencia, California, a 25-year-old male employee was struck by a 6-ton train on the park’s Revolution roller coaster as he was crossing the track in the station. Patrons standing in line waiting to board the ride witnessed the death. The park was cited for having an inadequate safety plan for track crossings, for failing to document improper track crossings, and for failing to document any disciplinary actions taken against workers for improper crossings. The state of California fined the park $8,745.”
and
“Saturday, August 9, 1997 – A 51-year-old maintenance worker was killed after being struck by a roller coaster train at Six Flags Astroworld theme park in Houston, Texas. The man was working on a section of track on the Excalibur roller coaster when the train was sent out for a test run and struck him along its way. A signal had indicated to the man that the track was clear.”
@MacBean – Sorry Mac…I should have said this occurred in Wichita Kansas at Joyland amusement park. I want to say it happened around these three dates as well.
Answer this question 
This question is in the General Section. Responses must be helpful and on-topic.
Composing members:
0
