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Two Teenagers Thrown From A Mega Bounce

marc

CF Legend
Just read this on Sky.

There is a video in the link.

http://news.sky.com/story/966790/boys-t ... round-ride

Two teenagers have been injured after being catapulted from a fairground ride.

The boys were on the Mega Bounce Frog ride at Billy Bates Fairground in Abbey Park, Leicester, when it broke on Saturday evening.

Video footage taken by a witness shows the carriage, which was carrying the pair, detach from the ride and flip over into a metal barrier.

One of the youngsters has been in intensive care after suffering a broken arm, ribs and chest injuries. The other teenager suffered a broken nose and teeth. They are both believed to be around 16-years-old.

Zimran Isyas was filming friends on the ride and captured the moment the accident happened.

The 18-year-old, from Leicester, said: "The ride was going pretty fast, and when the carriage came off everyone just went crazy.

"There were lots of kids on the ride and they were all crying. When it stopped their parents ran towards them and quickly took them out of their seats.

"The whole thing was shocking. The two lads could have died if the carriage had fallen off mid-air."

The ride has a number of carriages which spin at a low level gathering speed - when the accident happened - before extending high into the air.

Fairground director Kennedy Bates said: "We are devastated, I spoke to my dad and he says that in 40 years of being in Leicester nothing like this has happened.

"Our biggest concern is obviously with the lads and their families and we wish them the best recovery.

"We are not sure at the moment what happened. We have nothing to hide. We put our kids on our rides and ride them ourselves, so we are still in shock."

Mr Bates said the ride was subcontracted from another company and the Abbey Park fair was the first time it had been used. He said all the rides are checked regularly.

The fairground was closed while the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated.
 

bmac

Giga Poster
It's pretty shocking that something like that can happen on a fairground ride, especially since they have to go through regular inspections every time they're built in a new location (unless British laws are different than in the US).
 

marc

CF Legend
It can happen at any park though so its not always the fares fault. I mean look how many accidents happen at big theme parks.
 

T0M

Hyper Poster
I don't know how these things are connected, but it has to be a weld/bolt failure and the HSE have impounded it, so bye bye to whoever owns it.
 

furie

SBOPD
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
These things should be recalled and melted down. How many now have had failures? Three of them? Four?

Really lucky that it went at that point rather than when it was really going and both those lads are seriously lucky with just those injuries.
 

Pierre

Strata Poster
Thats **** crazy - as furie said its a good job it wasn't in 'bounce' motion at the time it happened!

I mean how has this actually happened? I don't know how they're constructed but even if it was one weld/bolt failure you'd like to think the cars are attached to the arms in more than one way in case of said failure....
 

furie

SBOPD
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
March 14th 2012, a 3 year old was thrown from one of these. Cause unknown, but she either didn't fit or wasn't strapped in.

April 10th 2009, a woman broke her back when the ride car "collapsed" on one of these in Norwich.

July 29th 2009, arm broke on Blackpool's Central Pier Crazy Frog and injured two boys.

April 3rd 2007, a family was injured by one of these "coming down too hard". The man had a cracked spine.

Lots of "safety bulletins" for these rides:
http://www.ltci.co.uk/Technical_Bulleti ... mbered.htm

To be fair though, there are more Octopus, Zipper and Scrambler/Twister accidents than these, it's just that these rides are all less than ten years old.
 

Ian

From CoasterForce
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Social Media Team
I wish the two involved a speedy recovery and I'm glad they're not hurt, but I did leat out a little snigger when it fell off. Wrong I know, I wouldn't want it to happen to me, but I couldn't help myself.

Why, whenever something like this is filmed, does the camera person always move the camera to the ground and not focus on the accident?
 

Pierre

Strata Poster
Ollie said:
Someone caught it on video.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHVa65ntnIo[/youtube]

Same video as the one on the link Marc posted in the opening post, just starts earlier :)
 

oriolat2

Giga Poster
This will teach these kids to ride a proper flat ride next time, not some crappy bouncy ride...

Jokes aside, I am glad they only got those injuries. It could have been a lot worse. The video is really terrifying...
 

Martyn B

CF Legend
To add to furie's list, the one at Fantasy Island had some serious 'cracking' issues in 2008 and 2009. Not exactly an 'inciden't as such, but still.

In June 2008, Leisure Technical Consultants reported their concerns regarding areas of Techno Jump that had become cracked. This is due to the level of stress that is put onto the various components of the ride during operation.

More fatigue cracks were reported in April 2009, revealing a 50mm long crack found on the circumferential weld securing the base of one of the Centre Hub Vertical Columns. The full extent of the damage to the Lifting Cylinder Attachment Brackets was only determined when the paint was removed.

After ongoing monitoring of the affected components, it has been since determined that the slew ring is unserviceable. Therefore, the decision has been made for it to be replaced. The part is due to arrive soon. However, since the ride needs to be completely stripped down to install it, it can't be confirmed at this stage when the ride will reopen.

http://www.islandquest.co.uk/news.php?mode=view&id=322
 

rollermonkey

Strata Poster
Holy crap. It wasn't even hardly moving quickly when that car comes apart.

I guess American ride engineering isn't what it used to be.
 

Temleh

Mega Poster
rollermonkey said:
Holy crap. It wasn't even hardly moving quickly when that car comes apart.

I guess American ride engineering isn't what it used to be.

ARM are a UK manufacturer. Thoughts to the two lads.
 

Danzibarr

Mega Poster
^ The ride in question was manufactured by Spanish company Safeco.

When the ride folds up/pulls down for transportation some of the cars hinge onto their side from the hinge point that this accident happened on. When the ride is built up the car is hinged down into position and then the pin goes through on the other side under the car to secure it in place. It's assumed that it was this pin that failed and caused the accident.
 

Temleh

Mega Poster
Danzibarr said:
^ The ride in question was manufactured by Spanish company Safeco.

When the ride folds up/pulls down for transportation some of the cars hinge onto their side from the hinge point that this accident happened on. When the ride is built up the car is hinged down into position and then the pin goes through on the other side under the car to secure it in place. It's assumed that it was this pin that failed and caused the accident.

Safeco manufacture the "Jump n Smile." This ride is an ARM Mega Bounce. They are virtually the same ride however.
 
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