Twelve passengers were stuck on the coaster’s vertical lift hill for hours when a computer glitch halted the train in its tracks. Source
Accidents
Theme parks and roller coasters are statistically very, very, very safe. Out of the millions of people who ride the thousands of rides every year, there are only a small handful of incidents. You are statistically more likely to be involved in an accident driving to an amusement park than having one at a park. The rarity of accidents is one reason why the media report them, similar to plane crashes.
Every important element of a ride is inspected on a regular basis and every ride is tested every day without passengers before it opens. A ride might not open, or a safety system might activate, if there is an imperfection. For theme parks to operate, they must obtain insurance and one stipulation is their rides are frequently inspected and signed off by a strict Health & Safety governing body. Every theme park does what they can to prevent accidents because the negative press would be bad for business.
Having said all that, theme park accidents still happen…
Zumur, Oyster Festival, Connecticut, USA
Eighteen people were hurt when a swing ride at the Norwalk Oyster Festival suddenly stopped, slamming riders into each other. Source
Big Wheel, Independence Park, Rosario, Argentina
Two girls were killed and at least seven other people injured when one of the ride’s gondolas became detached, falling nearly 100 feet (30.5m) to the ground. Source
New Texas Giant, Six Flags Over Texas, Texas, USA
A woman was killed after she was ejected from the train mid-ride. Source
Shoot The Rapids, Cedar Point, Ohio, USA
A boat rolled back down the first lift hill and flipped over at the bottom. Seven people were on board, but none suffered major injuries. Source
Tagada, Travelling Funfair, Doncaster, UK
A woman was thrown from her seat, landing on her head in the middle of the ride mid-cycle. She initially felt fine, but in the days following the incident was found to have broken her neck. Source
Tranan, Skara Sommarland, Västra Götaland, Sweden
A car failed to stop at the end of the ride, colliding with a stationary car in the station. No serious injuries were reported. Source (in Swedish)
Skyloop, World Joyland, Jiangsu Province, China
Eleven riders were stuck for two hours when the coaster got stuck on the lift hill. The riders were rescued by fire crews, and no injuries were sustained. Source
Crazy Mouse, Red River Ex, Winnipeg, Canada
A 16-year-old boy was struck by a coaster car, sustaining serious injuries, after entering a restricted area to retrieve his hat. Source
Rameses Revenge, Chessington World of Adventures, UK
The fire service had to cut 39 people free from the ride after it became stuck in mid-air. No injuries were sustained. Source
