Ride/Park Accidents

[BooMT]

From what I've heard from YT vids, the PLC waits for both trains to be on the launch / boost track, then accelerates the "loosing" train to the target speed faster, to keep the "race" as close as possible.

I can fully believe that someone who has passed out with only a lap restraint would be thrown around like the proverbial rag doll. If they had flopped forward, and the train is passing through the pull out of a drop, where the car in front suddenly gets a lot closer.... that could lead to some nasty head injuries.

But I still feel like there must be another factor here.

This is of course speculative, I haven't seen any hard evidence, however, I have read claims that the passenger had a disability of some kind that meant he was unable to support himself adequately against the forces. Whether this is factual remains to be seen; surely they have strict enough policy at Universal to ensure something like this would be avoided?

 

[DiogoJ42]

This is of course speculative, I haven't seen any hard evidence, however, I have read claims that the passenger had a disability of some kind that meant he was unable to support himself adequately against the forces. Whether this is factual remains to be seen; surely they have strict enough policy at Universal to ensure something like this would be avoided?

Hmmm, seems like the kind of thing we aren't allowed to speculate about....

 

[flyingguitar]

From what I've heard from YT vids, the PLC waits for both trains to be on the launch / boost track, then accelerates the "loosing" train to the target speed faster, to keep the "race" as close as possible.

I have heard that too, on the second (or third if you count that initial as two) launch

I was refering to the fact that there isn't a slow transition into the high force that you typically feel on lims, I think it is because it is as they are waiting untill both trains are fully on the lim's to launch then kicking the lim's in, it was a really powerfull kick when I was on it

the reason i mentioned it is because the only other times I have felt such a launch is on rita / stealth and I was thinking that there are some relatively intense manuvers between the first and seccond launch I was wondering if that could have accounted for some of the injuries as if you are leaning forward it is quite a kick (it also is quite hard to predict when you launch if you are close to the front, as you enter and have to wait for the whole train to enter, then launch, the split in the initial launch is also quite unexpected

arround 2:35 and 4:50 shows it quite well, the ride waits for the train to fully enter the lim's, then you hear the lim's kick in and people screaming (you can also see the initial launch is split in 2 as well)

From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy_Q19EK-SQ

I can fully believe that someone who has passed out with only a lap restraint would be thrown around like the proverbial rag doll. If they had flopped forward, and the train is passing through the pull out of a drop, where the car in front suddenly gets a lot closer.... that could lead to some nasty head injuries.

Yeah, but that lap bar is very large, and comes quite a way up people bellies, I think it is the same (or similar) to hyperia, it has a cut out but to reach the metal bar on the lap bar would be quite a task as I think it would have had to fold their spines not really their hip to make them make contact with the lap bars.

(I wonder if they were leaning forwards, then the launches smashed them into the back)

 

[djtruefitt]

I have heard that too, on the second (or third if you count that initial as two) launch

I was refering to the fact that there isn't a slow transition into the high force that you typically feel on lims, I think it is because it is as they are waiting untill both trains are fully on the lim's to launch then kicking the lim's in, it was a really powerfull kick when I was on it

the reason i mentioned it is because the only other times I have felt such a launch is on rita / stealth and I was thinking that there are some relatively intense manuvers between the first and seccond launch I was wondering if that could have accounted for some of the injuries as if you are leaning forward it is quite a kick (it also is quite hard to predict when you launch if you are close to the front, as you enter and have to wait for the whole train to enter, then launch, the split in the initial launch is also quite unexpected

arround 2:35 and 4:50 shows it quite well, the ride waits for the train to fully enter the lim's, then you hear the lim's kick in and people screaming (you can also see the initial launch is split in 2 as well)

From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy_Q19EK-SQ



Yeah, but that lap bar is very large, and comes quite a way up people bellies, I think it is the same (or similar) to hyperia, it has a cut out but to reach the metal bar on the lap bar would be quite a task as I think it would have had to fold their spines not really their hip to make them make contact with the lap bars.

(I wonder if they were leaning forwards, then the launches smashed them into the back)

The guy was definitely very slumped forward over the restraint when the train came back into the station, was hard to see from where we were if he had his the bar in front, but it did seem that way. Especially with the panic the passenger next to him was showing.

 

[spotweld]

Reminder we will probably not get a definitive answer.

This is the X2 incident all over again.

Rest in peace regardless.

 

[Bowser]

Those restraints look virtually the same as something like Hyperia or Ride to Happiness. It would be almost impossible for a conscious body to contort into such a position.

An unconscious or deceased body is a very different matter sadly. I believe there was an incident at Blackpool years ago where a rider with a pre existing condition snapped their spine and folded into an otherwise unnatural position resulting in paralysis.

 

[spotweld]

Bring back vest restraints.

 

[Itgoeshowhigh]

There’s a few comments on Reddit/epic universe questioning lap bars. Could this lead to a review of lap bars and possibly stricter guidelines on who is suitable to ride?

Whatever; my thoughts are with his family who must be struggling right now with shock and grief. What started as a lovely day out ended in tragedy and trauma.

They will be in a world of pain, questioning everything and trying to process it all. A life cut very short. Very sad.

 

[JugglersDoughnut]

I went on Stardust 6 times last month on our trip and it's a pretty intense ride in my opinion, I reckon it's on a par with Velocicoaster for some of the forces it puts you through. My daughter (who is 8 years old and has epilepsy) also went on the ride the same amount of times (just mentioning that for context of a potential underlying condition that caused no issues - she absolutely loved the ride).

Analysing what has been said of this, if the guy has passed out whilst on it, unless he was super tall I am not sure how he could reach the front bar without seriously having damaged his back (which obviously may have happened, if he had gone limp). If the cause of death does indeed turn out to be something like passing out from the forces of the ride and then his limpness having resulted in impact trauma against the train - the question (rightly) will be why are there not the right safety precautions in place to ensure that IF you pass out on a ride you will remain safe from injury in that circumstance? I am sure we have all at one time or another experienced the sensation of almost passing out on a ride, particularly after multiple rides of large intensity - it's never occurred to me that if that did actually happen to me that I might be in trouble. It's all absolute speculation obviously but I find this very worrying and above all else, sincere best wishes to the poor guys family and friends.

 

[Bowser]

I went on Stardust 6 times last month on our trip and it's a pretty intense ride in my opinion, I reckon it's on a par with Velocicoaster for some of the forces it puts you through. My daughter (who is 8 years old and has epilepsy) also went on the ride the same amount of times (just mentioning that for context of a potential underlying condition that caused no issues - she absolutely loved the ride).

Analysing what has been said of this, if the guy has passed out whilst on it, unless he was super tall I am not sure how he could reach the front bar without seriously having damaged his back (which obviously may have happened, if he had gone limp). If the cause of death does indeed turn out to be something like passing out from the forces of the ride and then his limpness having resulted in impact trauma against the train - the question (rightly) will be why are there not the right safety precautions in place to ensure that IF you pass out on a ride you will remain safe from injury in that circumstance? I am sure we have all at one time or another experienced the sensation of almost passing out on a ride, particularly after multiple rides of large intensity - it's never occurred to me that if that did actually happen to me that I might be in trouble. It's all absolute speculation obviously but I find this very worrying and above all else, sincere best wishes to the poor guys family and friends.

Coincidentally just a few days ago i watched a vlog from ThemeParkWorldWide's trip to Parque Warner where the temperature was close to 40C and one of them passed out on Superman (a B&M floorless). The ride actually films everyone so as well as being able to watch it they were aware that multiple people had briefly passed out and likely this was happening quite regularly on that day. Obviously that ride has bulky OTSR.

There's also the well documented (in enthusiast communities at least) experience of grey out which suggests that passing out even briefly is not an overly uncommon event on rollercoasters yet this could turn out to be one of the first fatalities.

Of course we have many many decades of intense coasters without OTSR albeit certainly the trend in recent decades is increased intensity/forces combined with alternative restraints.

I suspect there are other events at play here and a tragic freak accident isn't going to lead to an industry wide reappraisal of lap restraints. That being said vest restraints do seem to be the optimum combination of safety and comfort imo.

 

[dave___]

There’s a few comments on Reddit/epic universe questioning lap bars. Could this lead to a review of lap bars and possibly stricter guidelines on who is suitable to ride?

Whatever; my thoughts are with his family who must be struggling right now with shock and grief. What started as a lovely day out ended in tragedy and trauma.

They will be in a world of pain, questioning everything and trying to process it all. A life cut very short. Very sad.

Said this in an earlier post, I thought it would have taken slightly longer before people throwing round accusations around lap restraints being unsafe though. It almost feels like a bit of a fishing trip to point out negligence and lack-of-safety.

 

[NuttySquirrel]

The victim's family have set up a GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-kevin-rodriguez-zavala
This does suggest that he had some sort of disability - however he would likely have met the conditions to ride according to the Universal accessibility guide: https://www.universalorlando.com/we...iverse-guide-for-safety-and-accessibility.pdf

We don't know the cause of death, but it could lead to Universal tightening up their restrictions on who is allowed to ride. That would be a shame because really, anyone could pass out on a rollercoaster due to heat exhaustion or some other mundane reason. It's puzzling because given the modern design of the seats and the restraints of that ride type, I wouldn't expect even an unconscious person to sustain fatal injuries.

Whatever the cause it's a terrible incident for all concerned. Thoughts are with the victim's family as well as those that experienced the trauma of witnessing it first hand.

 

[Skyscraper]

I don't know how accurate this is, but a few witnesses have said that there was "a piece of metal hanging from the rider's seat".

 

[Benjsh]

There are some gold rails on the front row of each individual carriage of the coaster if memory serves, so basically every other row.

I wonder if one of those came loose and knocked him out? That would almost certainly be enough to kill somebody at high speeds.

Rather worrying if that's what it turns out to be. I suspect the coaster will be closed for many months too if something came loose.

 

[Dan]

I don't know how accurate this is, but a few witnesses have said that there was "a piece of metal hanging from the rider's seat".

The piece of metal people noticed hanging from the back of the seat was due to a technician using the key slot located there to open the seat and manually release the restraints after the ride was emergency stopped.

I wonder if one of those came loose and knocked him out? That would almost certainly be enough to kill somebody at high speeds.

The gold rail was in its normal position