Death And Dismemberment In The Happiest Places On Earth: 11 times theme parks turned deadly

Last month, my daughter proclaimed my blog posts boring. Of course she softened the blow by ending her pronouncement with ‘No offence” which everyone knows makes everything all better.

According to her worldly 14 years of wisdom, my posts are on boring topics that sometimes start off interesting but inevitably turn boring. In order to rectify this dire situation, I’ve put together a blog post I’m hoping she will enjoy from beginning to middle to end. It encapsulates all the things she looks for in a compelling read: death, dismemberment and thrill rides. 

After this, my posts will return to their typical dull and dreary normalcy.

But for now, here you go, my darling daughter – I hope this one satisfies your morbid curiosity and wholly captivates you until the end: 11 times theme parks turned deadly.

#1 In August 2015, at theme park Cedar Point located in Sandusky, Ohio (my daughter and I were just there on Canadian Thanksgiving), a man in his 40s lost his cellphone while riding a rollercoaster called The Raptor. After the ride, he snuck into a restricted area in order to retrieve the wayward phone and died instantly when he was struck by the speeding coaster. See? I knew cellphones were dangerous!

#2 It was July 2017, at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus, Ohio when a ride called Fire Ball malfunctioned with tragic results. The ring-shaped ride, which swoops back and forth like a pendulum while spinning at the same time, hit the platform below as it was swinging. As a result, two people were propelled into the air. An 18-year-old man was killed upon impact; another 70 riders were hospitalized. It was later determined the malfunction occurred due to corrosion.

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#3 During the summer of 2017, several teen girls were spending the day at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. While riding the Superman Tower of Pride – a ride that travels 99 metres upward before free-falling to the ground – cables began snapping during the initial ascent, lashing at the riders and slicing them all over their bodies. Once back on the ground, it was discovered that a 13-year-old girl’s feet had been severed. Doctors were able to reattach her right foot, but unfortunately, her left leg had to be amputated below the knee.

#4 In October 2016, tragedy struck at Australia’s Gold Coast amusement park – Dreamworld when their Thunder River Rapids ride malfunctioned. Four people died (three from the same family) when the raft they were riding in collided with another one and flipped suddenly. Two people still strapped in their seats drowned while two others were ejected and were crushed by the ride’s conveyer belt.

#5 At a Six Flags in New Orleans, it was July 2003 when the typically tame teacups type ride turned deadly. A woman in her 50s was strapping her grandchild into his seat when the ride started up unexpectedly. As a result, she was crushed and later pronounced dead.

#6 At a California county fair in 2006, a six-year-old boy managed to jump a fence, access the control panel to an out-of-service ferris wheel, turn it on and begin riding. It was mid-ride when he decided to attempt to switch cars and he slipped and was left dangling 15 metres above the ground. As a crowd of bystanders gathered, watching, filming – even laughing – he fell to his death. Both his mother and sister witnessed the tragic fall

#7 Even Disneyland isn’t immune to its fair share of tragic occurrences. In 2003, a train-themed rollercoaster by the name of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad came off its tracks. As the coaster slammed to a halt, part of the ride came loose and a 22-year-old man sitting in the front passenger car was fatally speared through the head and chest.

#8 In 2008, at yet another Six Flags – this time located in Georgia – a 17-year-old boy died after trespassing. He had ridden the Batman ride on which his hat had blown off. Afterward, he hopped two fences and entered an area clearly marked “Do Not Enter” in order to retrieve the hat. As the ride barrelled by, the bottom part struck the teen and decapitated him.

#9 In June 2010, Ecoventure Valley – an amusement park located in China – experienced a tragic mishap. A ride designed to simulate a rocket launch, underwent a sudden power failure and plummeted 15 metres to the ground with 44 passengers inside. Six people died and ten others were seriously injured.

#10 At a Texas Six Flags (remind me never to visit a Six Flags!) in July of 2013, a woman in her 50s died while riding a rollercoaster. Not properly secured in her seat, the woman was ejected from the ride, fell 75 feet before striking a metal beam below. All while her terrified son looked on.

#11 Back on Canadian soil, it was the summer of 1986 when an indoor roller coaster at the West Edmonton mall turned into a death machine. The Mindbender boasted triple loops as well as speeds up to 100 km per hour. On this particular occasion, the last car of the coaster suddenly came off its tracks and fishtailed wildly behind as the ride continued. Three of the four people seated in the car were killed including a young couple in their 20s and the surviving man’s best friend. The lone survivor broke both his legs as well as suffering a punctured lung and broken shoulder. Yet he was lucky to be alive.

Sources: Business Insider, CBC, LA Times, NBC, Ranker, Washington Post

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