Incidents at Cedar Fair parks

This is a summary of notable incidents that have taken place at amusement parks, water parks, or theme parks that are currently owned or operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. 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 operations, or are otherwise significantly newsworthy. In some cases, incidents occurred while the park was under different management or owners.

The term "incidents" refers to major accidents, injuries, or deaths that occur at a 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 (eg slipping and falling), that is not a direct result of an action on anybody's part.

Please see the references for each listed item for specific details.

Carowinds

Nighthawk

*On March 17 2007, seven employees received minor injuries during a pre-season test run when a ride vehicle mechanism failed. The train, containing 16 Carowinds employees at the time, stopped at the base of the vertical loop after the ride's emergency brakes engaged (approximately eight feet above the ground). [cite news
publisher = Herald-Life
date = 2007-03-19
url = http://www.heraldonline.com/109/story/14547.html
title = Carowinds' BORG malfunctions during tests
accessdate = 2007-03-19] An inspection discovered that the ride malfunctioned when a ride operator accidentally pushed the button controlling the seat positions while the ride was in motion. That button has been fixed to only operate while the ride is stopped. [cite news
publisher = WSOC-TV
date = 2007-03-20
url = http://www.wsoctv.com/news/11308720/detail.html
title = Ride Malfunction At Carowinds Blamed On Human Error
accessdate = 2007-03-23]

Cedar Point

Wildcat

* On May 16, 2008, one of Wildcat's trains rolled backward down a hill, hitting another train. 10 guests were minorly injured. Initial inspections suspected there was a problem with the ride’s anti rollback system. [cite news
publisher = Toledo Blade
date = 2008-05-23
url = http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080523/NEWS17/284625120
title = Cedar Point coaster closed after accident injures 10
accessdate = 2008-08-05]

Magnum XL-200

* On May 26, 2007, one coaster train collided with another at about 10 MPH, causing minor damage to both trains and minor injuries to at least three passengers. Two people were treated at the scene, while a third person had an asthma attack and was taken to a local hospital. No serious injuries were reported, and the ride returned to service in single-train operation the next day. The park said that the accident was due to early morning rain storms leaving excessive moisture on the track. [cite news
publisher = Sandusky Register
date = 2007-05-28
url = http://sanduskyregister.com/articles/2007/05/28/front/293269.txt
title = Rain blamed for Magnum malfunction
accessdate = 2007-05-29]

Top Thrill Dragster

* On July 13, 2004, four people were injured after they were struck from pieces of metal that sheared off the coaster's launch cable during the ride's launch sequence. The four guests were treated at the park's first aid station; two of those guests had further treatments addressed at a local hospital. [cite news
publisher = WTOL-TV
date = 2004-07-13
url = http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=2033374
title = Riders Injured on Top Thrill Dragster
accessdate = 2006-07-31]

California's Great America

Great Barrier Reef

* On July 12, 2007, four-year-old Carlos Alexnoro Flores drowned in a two-foot-deep area of the wave pool. Lifeguards retrieved Flores, and they and EMTs attempted to resuscitate him. Flores was pronounced dead at the hospital. [cite news
publisher = San Jose Mercury
date=2007-07-12
url = http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_6359901
title = Child drowns at Great America
accessdate = 2007-07-12]

Drop Tower

*In August 1999, 12-year-old Joshua Smurphat, who was mentally disabled, fell from the tower and died. Smurphat's family claimed the harness was not locked properly. An investigation was inconclusive and no charges were filed. [cite news
publisher = Courier-Journal
date = 2007-06-22
url = http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070622/NEWS01/70622044/1008/NEWS01
title = Thrill ride lawsuits
accessdate = 2007-06-23]

Flight Deck

* On Sept. 7, 1998, Hector Villegas Mendoza was killed by the swinging leg of a woman speeding by on the Flight Deck coaster. Mendoza was trying to retrieve his hat from a fenced-off area under the ride. [cite news
publisher = San Jose Mercury
date 2007-07-12
url = http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_6359901
title = Child drowns at Great America
accessdate = 2007-07-12]

Logger's Run

* In 1989, two boys intentionally jumped out of the Loggers' Run ride. One was killed and the other fell safely onto a platform. [cite news
publisher = KGO
date=2007-07-12
url = http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=local&id=5476441
title = Child drowns at Great America
accessdate = 2007-07-13]

Willard's Whizzer

*On March 29, 1980, an unidentified 14-year-old boy was killed and eight others injured when two ride vehicles collided. The park's owners were charged with not reporting a possible defect in the ride's braking system.cite news
publisher = U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
date = 1980-08-29
url = http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml80/80032.html
title = Commission Files Complaints Following Fatal Accidents On Amusement Park Rides
accessdate = 2007-06-26] Marriott Corporation settled the civil penalty action brought by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission with a US$70,000 payment. [cite news
publisher = U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
date = 1981-01-27
url = http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml81/81004.html
title = Commission Announces Settlement Of Civil Penalty Action Involving Amusement Rides
accessdate = 2007-06-26] The Commission also found that the ride had at least 11 other incidents between 1976 and 1979, resulting in an unreported and unknown number of injuries.

Kings Dominion

Volcano: The Blast Coaster

*On June 23, 2006, an unidentified man suffered a cut leg from flying debris during the ride's launch. An investigation showed that a loose bolt became lodged in the LIM magnets used to launch the train. [cite news
publisher = The Free Lance Star
date = 2006-06-24
url = http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2006/062006/06242006/201740
title = Two injured on Volcano Ride
accessdate = 2007-06-23]

hockwave

*On August 23, 1999, a 20-year-old man from Long Island, NY died after becoming free of his restraints while on the ride and falling to his death. An investigation showed that the ride restraints were working properly, and were still secured when the train returned to the station. [cite news
publisher = Dodge City Daily Globe (AP)
date = 1999-08-28
url = http://www.dodgeglobe.com/stories/082899/nat_man.shtml
title = Man who fell had partially taken off safety restraints
accessdate = 2007-09-01]

Kings Island

Flight Commander

*On June 9, 1991, Candy Taylor fell out of the ride to her death. A blood alcohol level of 0.30% and failure to follow safety securing procedures are cited as the cause of the accident. [ cite journal|title=KINGS ISLAND DEATHS BAFFLE PARK OFFICIALS|journal=The Columbus Dispatch|date=1991-06-11|first=Jill|last=Riepenhoff|coauthors=|volume=|issue=|pages=01A|id= |url=|format=|accessdate=2007-06-21]

on of Beast

*On July 9, 2006, a support timber on the wooden Son of Beast roller coaster cracked, resulting in the coaster's track dropping several inches. 27 riders were injured. [cite news
publisher = WCPO
date = 2006-07-10
url = http://www.wcpo.com/news/2006/local/07/09/kings_island_ax.html
title = Official: Cracked Wood May Have Caused Coaster Accident
accessdate = 2007-01-22] Most of the injuries were of the chest or neck. Of those injured, 17 people were released from hospitals within five hours of the accident and two were admitted. None of the injuries were life-threatening. The ride reopened on July 4th, 2007, nearly a year after the accident, without its trademark loop. [cite news
publisher = WCPO
date = 2006-08-04
url = http://wcpo.com/news/2006/local/12/13/beast.html
title = Son Of Beast Accident Blamed On Design Flaw
accessdate = 2007-01-22]

Knott's Berry Farm

Perilous Plunge

* In September 2001, 40-year-old Lori Mason-Larez fell out of the attraction and died. An investigation showed that the 300-lb woman was not properly secured in the ride vehicle. [cite web
url = http://www.ergoweb.com/news/detail.cfm?id=431
title = Ergonomics and a Deadly Ride on the "Perilous Plunge"
date = 2001-11-06
accessdate = 2007-04-05]

Michigan's Adventure

Chaos

*On July 30, 2001, the upper rotating portion of the Chaos ride separated from the stationary portion. This led to a sudden collapse of the passenger ride wheel. The rotation was immediately halted, and several of the passenger cars suffered severe damage. [cite web
author= State of Michigan
url = http://www.michigan.gov/cis/0,1607,7-154-10573_11472-48124--M_2002_2,00.html
date = 2002-02-06
title = Michigan Department of Consumer & Industry Services (CIS) Cites Mechanical Failure as Cause of Michigan Adventure's 2001 Chaos Ride Accident
accessdate = 2006-08-02] Of the thirty-three people on the ride, thirty-one were taken to area hospitals, most with minor injuries. The last two passengers were removed from their vehicle nine hours after the incident. An investigation put the blame on both poor maintenance which allowed bolts to loosen, twist and break; as well as on structural fatigue fractures that were discovered afterwards. [cite web
author= MassTort.org
url = http://www.masstort.org/Downloads/MichiganAdventure.pdf
title = Various legal documents pertaining to the Chaos incident at Michigan's Adventure, including photographs of bolts and ride diagrams from investigation.
accessdate = 2006-08-03]

Valleyfair

Wild Thing

*On May 21, 2006, the back car of Wild Thing became disconnected from the rest of the train as it was nearing the station and beginning to brake at the end of the ride. A mounting bracket supporting brakes on the track had malfunctioned, damaging the rear axle of the 5th car. This caused the 6th car to break free from the train, and tip over into a fence adjacent to the roller coaster, injuring 18 people. 14 of these were taken to nearby St. Francis Medical Center, but all injuries were minor and all were treated and released. The Wild Thing reopened on June 1, after a number of inspections and tests cleared it as safe to ride again. [

cite web
author = KSTP-TV
year = 2006
url = http://kstp.com/article/stories/S16428.html?cat=1
title = Valley Fair coaster accident injures 18
accessdate = 2006-05-21

] [

cite web
author = KARE
year = 2006
url = http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=125618
title = Inspection team determines cause of rollercoaster crash
accessdate = 2006-05-25

] [

cite web
author = KARE
year = 2006
url = http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=126163
title = Wild Thing reopens
accessdate = 2006-06-01]

Worlds of Fun

Orient Express

*On July 17, 1999, two cars on the ride derailed, stranding 18 people. Two people were immediately taken to the hospital, with six others being sent to the hospital later. None of the injuries were life-threatening. During a subsequent investigation, it was determined that the cars derailed due to severe internal metal fatigue in a metal support post. [cite news
publisher = AP
date = 1999-11-17
url = http://www.morningsun.net/stories/111799/kan_1117990020.shtml
title = Officials find cause of July derailment of roller coaster
accessdate = 2007-01-30]

Timber Wolf

*On March 31, 1990, 35 people were injured when two trains collided just short of the loading platform.cite news
publisher = Wichita Eagle, The
date = 1990-04-01
url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WE&s_site=kansas&p_multi=WE&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EADB3CB1B16F0B5&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM
title = 35 INJURED AT WORLDS OF FUN
pages = 3B
accessdate = 2007-10-15] The control system malfunctioned, causing the system to be unable to control two trains at once.cite news
publisher = Wichita Eagle, The
date = 1990-04-25
url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WE&s_site=kansas&p_multi=WE&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EADB3C94BB9A6B9&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM
title = COASTER TO RUN AGAIN
pages = 4D
accessdate = 2007-10-15] The ride reopened running a single train until the control system was fixed to handle two trains.

*On June 30, 1995, 14-year-old Ryan Bielby was killed when she fell about 25ft from the coaster. She was reportedly switching seats when the accident occurred. The ride was temporarily shut down pending the results of an investigation of its safety features, which resulted in new lapbars being installed. The park's owners at the time, Hunt-Midwest, and the ride's builder, Dinn Corporation, gave the mother $200,000 in a settlement.cite news
publisher = Topeka Capital Journal
date = 1999-07-18
url = http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4179/is_19990718/ai_n11726000
title = Roller coaster derails at amusement park
accessdate = 2007-01-30]

References