Incidents at European amusement parks

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This is a summary of notable incidents that have taken place at various European amusement parks, water parks, or theme parks. This list is not intended to be a comprehensive list of every such event, but only those that have a significant impact on the parks or park owners, or are otherwise significantly newsworthy.

The term incidents refers to major accidents, injuries, deaths that occur at a European park. While these incidents were required to be reported to regulatory authorities due to where they occurred, they usually fall into one of the following categories:

  • Caused by negligence on the part of the guest. This can be refusal to follow specific ride safety instructions, or deliberate intent to break park rules.
  • The result of a guest's known or unknown health issues.
  • Negligence on the part of the park, either by ride operator or maintenance.
  • Act of God or a generic accident (e.g., slipping and falling), that is not a direct result of an action on anybody's part.

Contents

Alton Towers

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Main article: Alton Towers

Alton Mouse

  • In 1991 in its last season of operation a car stalled on the second big drop. The ride shut down as designed, with other cars held at various blocks before and after the stalled car. The ride operator restarted the ride thinking that the stalled car (which had valleyed) would also start and continue its journey. A second car collided with it. The report in to the incident found that the member of staff had inadequate training. He also had access to keys that allowed him to override the block system, a procedure that should only be authorised by a more qualified person, such as maintenance. Alton Towers were fined.[1]

Forbidden Valley

  • On March 29, 2015, a small fire occurred within the Fresh Fish and Chips catering unit within Forbidden Valley. All nearby rides were evacuated, including Nemesis, Air, The Blade, Ripsaw and the Sky Ride.[2]

Sky Ride

  • On June 29, 2004, due to a large gust of wind the Sky Ride cables became caught, jamming the ride. About 80 people were on the ride, and nine people had to be rescued by being abseiled down 200 ft cables.[3]
  • In 2007, a fire caused by a halogen lamp occurred at the Sky Ride Station in Forbidden Valley. No visitors were on the attraction at the time, and the station re-opened the following year.[4]
  • On 29 July 2009, a blaze started in the Cloud Cuckoo Land station for the Skyride. It took several hours to get the fire under control, and the station was completely destroyed. The cause of the fire was revealed to have been a faulty nearby vending machine. The Skyride remained closed until 2010 after the fire.[citation needed]

Rita - Queen of Speed / Rita

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Main article: Rita (roller coaster)
  • In June 2005, a 12-year-old girl allegedly suffered broken wrists because of the 62 mph launch that begins the ride. This was never conclusively proven.
  • On the morning of Tuesday 24 July 2012, the ride's launch cable snapped during morning testing while attached to an empty train. This also happened in 2005. No injuries were reported.

Runaway Mine Train

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Main article: Runaway Mine Train (Alton Towers)
  • On 20 July 2006, when the train was entering the tunnel section of its course, two carriages uncoupled, the front half continued up the slope whilst the other half of the train remained stuck in the tunnel, the front carriages then failed to make it over the hill and rolled back into the tunnel, crashing into the other part of the train. Six people were taken to hospital and 23 others were treated for cuts and bruises. Following the incident the Runaway Mine Train was closed for the rest of the season, the train was only returned to full length in June the following year as some carriages were still being repaired.[5]

Oblivion

  • In May 2012, a drunk young man climbed into the tunnel on Oblivion. Staff noticed through CCTV and halted the ride. The man was rescued and taken to the nearby University Hospital North Staffordshire as a precaution. Nobody was injured.[6]

The Smiler

  • On 2 November 2013, a rider of The Smiler was injured when a rubber guide wheel casing fell off and hit the guest as the ride made a vertical incline. The injured was looked after by park staff and did not need treatment by the ambulance service.[7]
  • On 2 June 2015, a train with 16 passengers collided with a stationary test car on the track. Four passengers — two male, two female, aged between 17 and 27 — received serious leg injuries and were airlifted to hospital for treatment, one of the casualties had to have her left leg amputated due to her injuries while a second casualty had to have her right leg amputated due to the extent of her injuries. A fifth person with neck and abdominal injuries was also taken to hospital. The other 11 riders were believed to have only minor injuries and received medical treatment at the scene. This has been stated to be the biggest incident to ever occur at Alton Towers. The theme park was closed until 7 June 2015 pending the completion of the investigation. The Smiler will be closed for the foreseeable future. As of September, it has began testing with both empty carriages and ones filled with test dummies. Ride staff operating The Smiler at the time of the incident were questioned, including the ride operator and engineer, after reports that it was manually restarted, similar to that of the Alton mouse incident in 1991.[8] This accident also caused Sonic Spinball (roller coaster) and three other roller coasters at sister parks Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures to close until additional safety procedures were researched or put in place, these rides reopened shortly afterwards, once deemed safe to continue oprating. This accident also caused 6 rides at Alton Towers to close in the 2016 season.[9][10][11][12][13]

Battersea Funfair

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Main article: Battersea Park

Big Dipper

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Main article: Big Dipper (Battersea Park)
  • On 30 May 1972, one of the trains became detached from the lift chain and rolled back to the station (the anti-rollback mechanism having also failed), colliding with the other train. Five children were killed and thirteen others injured. The ride (the park's main attraction) was permanently closed, leading to the decline in the popularity of the funfair and its eventual closure at the end of the 1974 season.[14]

Bridlington Bayside Fun Park

Jungle River Log Flume

  • On 29 August 2011, a woman sustained severe leg injuries when the Jungle River Log Flume stuck and jolted throwing her out of the cabin. She was riding with her four-year-old granddaughter when the accident happened. It is believed that the ride stalled as it didn't have enough water in. The granddaughter was taken to hospital with minor bruising.[15]

Botton's Amusement Park

Surf Rider

  • On 30 August 2011 at 3:15pm, emergency services were called to the ride after reports that the arm had collapsed. Firefighters used ropes and ladders to rescue the 22 passengers who had become lodged at a 90 degree angle. Seven passengers were injured and taken to hospital, including one woman with life-threatening head injuries. It was reported that the ride had maintenance done in the previous few days.[16]

Brighton Pier

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Main article: Brighton Pier

Turbo Coaster

  • In December 2002, eight riders were allowed to ride the coaster despite the fact that a 16 ft section of track had been removed for maintenance. The ride operator stopped the train just before it hit the missing section. In 2004, Brighton Pier was fined £37,000 for failing to ensure people's safety.[17]

Camelot

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Main article: Camelot Theme Park

The Gauntlet

  • On October 22, 2001, a 59-year-old employee was killed as he was struck by a train when he was performing maintenance on the ride. Prime Resorts Limited was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £20,000 costs, after a court decided the death was caused by fundamental management errors.[18]

Excalibur II

  • During August 2011 a young boy fell from the Fabbri-manufactured thrill ride. The visitor was taken to a local hospital, the incident was not life-threatening.[19]

Chessington World of Adventures

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Main article: Chessington World of Adventures

Tomb Blaster

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Main article: Tomb Blaster
  • On 7 June 2012, A 4-year-old girl fell from an elevated walkway used as the queue for the Tomb Blaster attraction.[20] The girl suffered broken ribs, a cracked skull and bleeding on the brain when she fell through a hole in the wooden fencing. On Friday 9 January 2015, Chessington plead guilty to the incident labeling it as a result of improper maintenance. H&S investigators said the fall happened as a result of water from the roof dripping onto the paneling, rotting the wood. On Monday 12 January 2015, Chessington World of Adventures Operations Ltd were fined £150,000 as a result of the fall. Operator Merlin Entertainments apologised and said that they had since spent millions on remedial work across the park to ensure something similar could never occur again. One improvement made involved adding a steel rail fence to the Tomb Blaster queue.[21]

Creaky Cafe

  • On 21 December 2013 a fire broke out at the Creaky Café which was being used as Santa's grotto at the time. The park and zoo were closed at the time of the fire, but all staff and animals had to be evacuated. The fire destroyed the café entirely, as well as doing major damage to several facades in the Transylvania area. The fire also spread into the Bubbleworks dark ride show building, doing serious damage to the ride's finale scene. The fire was extinguished after two hours, and the zoo re-opened five days later. The cause of the fire was since revealed to have been Christmas decorations catching alight after being placed too close to an electric heater. The site of the fire was cleared in time for the launch of the following season, the Bubbleworks ride was repaired and so were the destroyed facades.[22]

Coney Beach Funfair, Porthcawl

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Main article: Coney Beach Pleasure Park

On 1 April 1994, a 9-year-old boy was killed after being flung off the 58-year-old "Water Chute" ride when a steel hoop collapsed in wet and windy conditions and fell onto the open-topped carriage in which he was travelling.[23]

Disneyland Paris

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Main article: Disneyland Paris

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Further information: Incidents at Disneyland Paris

Fantasy Island

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Main article: Fantasy Island UK
  • On October 18, 2002, a 22-year-old ride operator broke his leg when a bungee ride malfunctioned. The employee was demonstrating the ride when the ankle restraints holding him in place snapped.[24]
  • On April 15, 2015, most of the outdoor rides suffered from a power failure. The Beast stopped with riders upside down.

Flamingo Land

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Main article: Flamingo Land Resort

Magnum Force

  • On June 1, 2004, a 32-year-old employee was injured by the Magnum Force roller coaster, allegedly due to him crossing through a restricted area under the coaster as a shortcut through the park.[25]

Mumbo Jumbo

  • On May 3, 2010, one of the carts got stuck midway through the ride due to a poncho blowing onto the tracks. Four passengers were trapped upside down for 20 minutes before being safely removed from the ride by park attendants.[26][27]

Hero

  • On May 22, 2015, a 15-year-old girl and a 26-year-old woman were injured after a foot-rail dislodged while in motion and landed in the queue for the ride. The 15-year-old girl was taken to Scarborough General Hospital where she received treatment for her head injuries, whereas the 26-year-old woman was treated at the scene. Although both have sustained head injuries, North Yorkshire Police released a statement claiming that neither was life-threatening. The ride has been taken out of operation in accordance with Flamingo Land's operational procedures, and is undergoing a full inspection in conjunction with the North Yorkshire Police Department and the HSE (Health and Safety Executive).[28]

Gray's Amusement Park

  • On June 2, 2000, a 12-year-old boy died as a result of injuries sustained at Gray's Amusement Park in Ingoldmells near Skegness. He was hit in the chest by a manual swing, known as The Swinging Gym. The incident was described as a tragic accident.[29]

Gulliver's Land

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Main article: Gulliver's Land
  • On May 17, 2006, a 56-year-old park employee was performing safety checks on the train when his head hit a bridge as the train dragged him through a tunnel, killing him.[30][31]

Gulliver's World

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Main article: Gulliver's World

Ferris Wheel

  • On July 13, 2002, a 15-year-old girl fell 30 feet from a Ferris wheel. She was taken to hospital, and died two days later from her injuries.[32] The park were fined a total of £80,000 for failing to ensure a person's safety, and not carrying out risk assessments.[33]

Guillena Zoo

Flying Swinger

  • Eighteen people were injured when a Flying Swinger ride collapsed at Guillena Zoo near Seville, Spain. The accident happened on April 9, 2005. Of the 18 injured, fifteen were children. Four people were seriously injured, including an 11-year-old girl and a woman, who were airlifted to a Hospital in Seville, after sustaining serious head and leg injuries. Witnesses said that the attraction's main support snapped in two, trapping victims under the debris. The ride, built in 2001, had just passed all of its required safety inspections.[34]

Holiday Park

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Main article: Holiday Park, Germany

Expedition GeForce

  • On April 29, 2010, the Intamin coaster Expedition GeForce stopped 65-feet in the air when the first car derailed after completing the car's first drop. No one was seriously injured, although all 26 riders had to be evacuated. It was reported a broken axle caused the accident.[35]

Legoland Billund

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Main article: Legoland Billund

The Xtreme Racer

  • On April 29, 2007, a 21-year-old park employee was killed by a ride vehicle on The Xtreme Racer, a roller coaster at the Billund, Denmark park, as she climbed over a security fence to retrieve a guest's wallet.[36]

Lightwater Valley

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Main article: Lightwater Valley

Treetop Twister

  • On June 21, 2001, a 20-year-old woman died while on the ride after two carriages collided.[37] Police decided not to prosecute a maintenance worker, who claimed that he had only received an hour's training on that ride and had not seen its manual.[38] Faulty wiring had also caused a malfunction on the ride.[39] In October 2004, the deputy coroner ruled death by misadventure. On November 14, 2006, the park was charged with failing to ensure the health and safety of riders, and the ride operator was charged with failing to ensure safety through his work. Both pleaded guilty.[40] The ride manufacturer, Reverchon Industries SA, was convicted of two charges of failing to ensure the ride's safe design and construction.[41]

Liseberg

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Main article: Liseberg
  • In 1985, two empty rollercoaster trains collided at Liseberg, causing injuries to staff members.[42]
  • In 2005, a power failure affected western Sweden, causing all the attractions at Liseberg to stop, leaving people stranded in various positions but causing no injuries.[42]
  • On September 2, 2006, a man received injuries to his head and neck after being hit when a flagpole fell down.[42][43]

Lisebergbanan

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Main article: Lisebergbanan
  • On July 15, 2006, 21 people were injured at Liseberg when two roller coaster trains, on the rollercoaster Lisebergbanan, collided. The crash happened when the chain that pulls trains up the initial climb malfunctioned, causing a fully loaded train to roll backward into the loading platform, hitting another train that was unloading riders. Since only part of the train was on the lift, the anti-rollback mechanism had not fully engaged and broke. The steel roller coaster was built in 1987 and is one of Sweden's largest, reaching speeds up to 80 km/h.[44] Since the accident the roller coaster has opened again, after a technical adjustment.

Flumeride

  • On October 8, 2006, a woman in her thirties was seriously injured on the log boat ride "Flumeride". At the second and final drop, a 14-metre slope, the woman apparently panicked, and tried to keep the log boat from travelling down the slope by holding onto the railings. She was ejected from the boat into the water and slid down the slope, where she was hit in the head by at least one of the two following log boats. Since she had managed to temporarily keep the log boat from dropping down the slope, the following two log boats passed the last safety gate, and couldn't be stopped from falling down the last slope where the woman was located. The event was witnessed by the staff who stopped the ride, but were unable to prevent two of the log boats from continuing. The woman, who was travelling together with her 11-year-old daughter and another woman, was taken to Sahlgrenska University Hospital, where she was reported to be in critical but stable condition. An investigation has been initiated by the authorities, and Liseberg has also initiated an internal inquiry.[43][45][46] She eventually recovered fully.[citation needed]

Rainbow

Rainbow collapsed
  • On July 15, 2008, 30 people were injured when the ride collapsed. The park manager stated that he believes a ball bearing on the ride failed.[47] The ride was dismantled on July 17, 2008. Investigators then confirmed on July 19, 2008 that they had discovered a faulty drive shaft during their inspection. They believed that one of the axles that is designed to hold the passenger carriage horizontal failed. The drive shaft had been replaced by Huss Maschinefabrik, the ride's manufacturer, in 2003.[48]

Hangover

  • In 1997, 25 young people were trapped for three hours when the ride "Hangover" at Liseberg malfunctioned.[42]

Kållerado

  • In 2001, a 14-year-old boy was pinned between a raft and a landing on the ride "Kållerado" at Liseberg.[42]

Little Frogs

  • In 2002, six small children received minor injuries when a safety latch failed on the attraction "the little frogs" (Swedish: Små grodorna) at Liseberg.[42]

Loudoun Castle

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Main article: Loudoun Castle (theme park)

Rat

  • On July 16, 2007, an 18-year-old park worker died after falling 80 ft from the Rat ride at the Scottish Park. He was on a day off on July 15, 2007 when it is believed he saw one of the carriages stuck on the ride. He climbed up to attempt to fix the ride; however when it started to move he was dragged to the highest point, when he lost his grip and fell.

The park voluntarily closed the ride even after it passed inspection.[49]

Luna Park (St Brieuc)

  • On 2015-08-10, a woman broke her leg after one of the bungee lines snapped on a slingshot-style bungee ride, causing the carriage to hit one of the supporting poles.[50]

Mirabilandia

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Main article: Mirabilandia (Italy)

Katun

  • In 2007, a man was killed at the Mirabilandia theme park in Ravenna, Italy, when he was hit in the head by the leg of a female rider on the Katun inverted coaster. The girl whose leg struck the man was injured. The man was in a restricted area when he was struck, however the ride was still closed so officials could investigate.[51]

Naudières

Roller Coaster

  • On August 13, 2011, a 24-year-old ride operator was crushed by two trains at the Naudières theme park in Sautron, France. The man left the control booth of the ride whilst it was in motion. He slipped trapping his legs beneath the track and then was hit by a train, trapping him between two cars, crushing him beneath the ride's structure. Doctors amputated his legs at the scene, but he later died of his injuries. The park closed the next day due to 'very bad weather'.[52]

Nigloland

Bat Coaster

  • On April 4, 2005, the former golf coaster,[53] was stopped by a gust while going into a curve that would naturally slow down the ride. The technician called managed to make the ride work again but it ended colliding with the technician's machine, hurting several people on their legs, one seriously. The attraction was closed down and removed from the park afterwards.[54]

Oakwood

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Main article: Oakwood Theme Park

Drenched (Hydro)

  • On April 16, 2004, a 16-year-old girl from Pontypool, was killed after falling approximately 30 m (100 ft) from the top of the Hydro (now called Drenched) ride.[55] During a trial brought by the victim's family against Oakwood, a jury returned a narrative verdict stating that the victim died due to not being properly restrained.[56] In February 2008, Oakwood was charged by the Health and Safety Executive for park staff not ensuring that guests were properly and safely restrained.[57] On May 22, 2008, magistrates in Haverfordwest magistrates court rejected Oakwood Leisure Limited's request for an adjournment and directed that the hearing should proceed on the assumption of a not guilty plea. The magistrates declined jurisdiction and adjourned the case which was committed for crown court trial in Swansea Crown Court on July 7, 2008.[58] The magistrates' court was limited to fining the company £20,000, the crown court can impose an unlimited fine.[59] On July 8, 2008, Oakwood plead guilty under the Health and Safety Act 1974 for failing to conduct its business such to ensure that its guests were not exposed to risks.[60] In December 2008 the company was fined £250,000 plus £80,000 in costs.[61]
  • On July 30, 2014, the boat became stuck part way up the lifthill when the lift chain snapped, meaning that several riders had to be evacuated from the ride. The water ride was closed for the remainder of the season, as, according to the park, it needed a replacement part.

Phantasialand

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Main article: Phantasialand

Gebirgsbahn & Grand Canyon Achterbahn

  • On May 1, 2001, a fire broke out at the Phantasialand theme park in Brühl, near Cologne, Germany. 54 people were injured during the fire, however no one was seriously hurt. The fire broke out on the powered roller coaster "Grand Canyon Achterbahn" which was located inside the structure of the bigger roller coaster "Gebirgsbahn" on a day when the park was filled with 20,000 visitors. The park's founder said a cable fire was most likely the cause of the blaze. There were 150 passengers on the 2 rides when the fire broke out. Some passengers of the "Gebirgsbahn" were only able to exit the cars using a 60-foot ladder. The mostly polystyrene facade was coated with a fire resistant film, however it had lost its effect after years of operation and caught fire. The 2 roller coasters and the nearby "Tanagra Theater" were completely destroyed and demolished shortly after. After this accident, the park improved the safety standards on many of its attractions. This resulted in some compromises. Some of the effects on the park's rides had to be removed, the upper floor of the IMAX simulator "Galaxy" (later: "Race For Atlantis") was permanently closed and the track of the "Gondelbahn 1001-Nacht" darkride was shortened to make room for a rescue passage for firetrucks. The park also installed new sprinkler systems in some of the rides like the "Silbermine" darkride. Today the rapid river "River Quest" is located on the site of the 2 roller coasters. The "Tanagra Theater" was replaced with the Vekoma madhouse "Feng Ju Palace".[62]

Black Mamba

  • On May 14, 2011, a 48-year-old man died while riding Black Mamba, an inverted roller coaster. According to German safety inspectors the roller coaster and all safety features were sound and passed extensive testings by the TÜV. Autopsy showed that the death was caused by a heart attack.[63]

Pleasure Beach Blackpool

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Main article: Pleasure Beach Blackpool

Pepsi Max Big One

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Main article: Pepsi Max Big One
  • On August 31, 2000, 23 people were injured, when two ride vehicles collided due to a failure of the ride's braking system. Of those injured, 21 were taken to the hospital. This was the second time the ride's car collided, first was July 1994 (a week after the ride opened).[64]

Space Invader

  • On July 21, 2000, an 11-year-old boy died after he fell out of the ride. Reports say that he panicked on the dark ride, unfastened his seat belt and fell 50 ft.[65]

The Big Dipper

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Main article: Big Dipper (Blackpool)
  • On August 11, 2009, two trains - carrying a total of 32 guests - collided, resulting in 21 guests requiring treatment at a nearby hospital for injuries ranging from whiplash and broken noses to cuts and bruises.[66]

Grand National

  • On October 27, 2014 a 53-year-old male was riding the Grand National with his 13-year-old great-nephew when he became unconscious and limp. Emergency services were called and fire fighters cut the rider free from the train. Emergency doctors on-scene confirmed the male had broken his neck mid-ride. Pleasure Beach reported that there had been no incidents in 2014, that the ride had passed all safety and maintenance checks, and that none of the ride's safety systems had alerted staff to any malfunctions. It was later confirmed that the now-paralysed man had underlying spinal conditions. The ride opened in 1935 and an estimated 100,000,000 people have ridden this ride. This is the first official report of any injuries caused by or on the ride.[citation needed]
  • Megan Gore, 17, fell off the Grand National from a small section of low ground to the floor in 2014 but sustained no injuries whatsoever.

Parc Astérix

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Main article: Parc Astérix
  • On July 5, 2006, a 6-year-old Belgian boy drowned as he was dragged underwater by the current.[67][68][69][70]

PortAventura

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Main article: PortAventura

Tomahawk

  • On May 18, 2009, a 55-year-old park employee died after being run over by a coaster train as he was performing maintenance.[71]

Pleasureland Southport

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Main article: Pleasureland Southport

Sky Ride

  • On August 25, 2004, a 59-year-old employee was killed after he became trapped.[72] The park was fined £95,000 for breaching health & safety laws, and were also ordered to pay £50,000 in costs[citation needed].

PowerPark

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Main article: PowerPark
  • In 2007, a worker died after being hit by the Typhoon ride. According to the news, she was retrieving a shoe. After the incident, the park was closed earlier than usual and both workers and customers were given crisis aid.

Prater

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Main article: Prater

Extasy

  • On April 5, 2010, a Viennese man died after trying to jump onto a high-speed carousel ride at Vienna's Prater amusement park. The 34-year-old was drunk when he attempted to get back on the ride after it had started by hurling himself at the spinning carousel. He died soon after from the multiple injuries.[73]

Volare

  • Three people were injured on the Volare roller coaster on October 22, 2010, when a crane crashed against the ride. The 'wagon' steered into the crane's hoist, set close to the ride. A 21-year-old Macedonian man sustained serious head injuries when he fell 8 metres to the ground from the platform supported by the crane. One tourist broke her arm while her friend suffered cuts and bruises. The official accident report says the employee operating the roller coaster was unaware the worker was busy on the scaffolding when he started up the ride. Newspapers, however, report that the attraction has been in operation many times while the painters were busy.[74]

Rotunda Amusement Park

Mini-Dragon

  • On September 11, 1999, an 8-year-old girl died after falling from the coaster and hitting her head on a steel support. On February 19, 2003, Dreamland Leisure was found guilty of negligence in ensuring guest safety. The company were fined £25,000 and ordered to pay £15,000 in compensation to the victim's mother.[75]

Terra Mitica

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Main article: Terra Mítica

Inferno

  • On July 7, 2014, a teenager was killed after his harness sprung open on Inferno, a ZacSpin coaster at Terra Mítica in Benidorm, Spain.[76] All other ZacSpin's across the world ceased operations pending investigation findings from Terra Mictica and later reopened.[77][78][79]

Thorpe Park

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Main article: Thorpe Park Resort

Rumba Rapids

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Main article: Rumba Rapids
  • In the ride's opening year of 1986, 11-year-old Jonathan White was thrown from a boat and lost an ear. The news was broken by Children's BBC TV news programme, Newsround.[80]

X

  • On 31 August 2000, An 11-year-old boy broke both his legs and was left with slurred speech after suffering a brain injury on the ride (left vertebral artery dissection) caused by falling out of the car.[80]

Zodiac

  • In September 2001, two teenagers were left dangling from a gondola on the Zodiac Enterprise ride. The two pupils from an East Sussex school, Gemma Clark and Scott Reeves, were on the ride when a support holding the gondola snapped, leaving it hanging by a single support. When the operator tried to halt the ride, the gondola repeatedly hit decking at the bottom before coming to a stop. Minor injuries were sustained. In 2004, Tussauds Theme Park, then owner of Thorpe Park, were fined £65,000 for violations of health and safety law in connection with the incident.[81]

Rush

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Main article: Rush (Thorpe Park)
  • On May 29, 2008, a 4 ft piece of metal fell off Rush and fell from the top of the ride, hitting one of the swings and landing on the nearby pathway. No one was injured.[82]

Saw, The Ride

  • On 11 March 2009, the ride was scheduled to be launched by a group of invited celebrities, including the director of Saw II, Saw III and Saw IV Darren Lynn Bousman, who posted an account of his experience on his Facebook profile. The ride experienced a delay, a barrier shut-down and a subsequent stop, blamed by park officials on a computer programming error. An ambulance was called when one woman suffered a panic attack.[83]
  • Following an incident on The Smiler at Alton Towers on 2 June 2015 that resulted in its closure, Merlin Entertainment announced on 5 June 2015 that they were closing Saw – The Ride and two other roller coasters at Chessington World of Adventures for the "foreseeable future" while safety protocols and procedures are being evaluated. The ride eventually reopened on 9 July 2015.[84][85]

Guest altercations

  • On July 6, 2014 a 25-year-old man's jaw was broken during a fight between two parties at the park's Ministry of Sound Club Nights. Police believed that the fight began in the Bar 360 but got more serious later. Five people, including the man with the broken jaw were sent to St Peter's Hospital by ambulance.[86]

Tivoli Friheden

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Main article: Tivoli Friheden

Cobra

  • On July 4, 2008, four unidentified people were injured while riding the Cobra coaster. The ride vehicle broke in two, with the front part of the train falling to the ground.[87]

Tramore Amusement Park

Slingshot

  • On August 5, 2002, a 16-year-old male employee of the park was struck and killed by the ride while it was in operation.[88]

Ghost Train

  • On August 26, 2006, a 22-year-old man died in an accident after he drunkenly stood up in the ghost train car and fell out over the side and snapped his neck against the wall.[89]

Wonderland Pleasure Park

Astroslide

  • On September 5, 2004, a seven-year-old girl died after sustaining severe head injuries after falling to the ground while exiting the ride.[90]

See also

References

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  6. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-17999937
  7. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-24794468
  8. ↑ http://metro.co.uk/2015/08/23/two-alton-towers-staff-questioned-over-human-error-which-may-have-caused-smiler-crash-5356573/
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  21. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-30780504
  22. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25476397
  23. ↑ "Survivors speak of tragedy at fun-fair: Steel hoop 'had collapsed into path of Water Chute car', The Independent, 2 April 1994. Accessed 30 October 2012
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  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 42.3 42.4 42.5 Tivoliolyckor i Sverige (Swedish), Göteborgsposten, October 8, 2006.
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 Woman seriously injured in Liseberg accident (English), The Local, October 8, 2006.
  44. ↑ 21 injured in Liseberg rollercoaster crash (English), The Local, July 15, 2006.
  45. ↑ Kvinna svårt skallskadad i Flumeride på Liseberg (Swedish), Göteborgsposten, October 9, 2006.
  46. ↑ Kvinna skadad i FlumeRide (Swedish), Liseberg Press release, October 8, 2006.
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  53. ↑ https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat_Coaster
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  56. ↑ Riders say that the girl stood up while the ride was in motion, she was trying to get her jacket from where she was seated Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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