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Ride/Park Accidents

Dave said:
I would suspect the fatality was ejected from the train when it derailed.
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Witness accounts state exactly that, including one who managed to catch a support beam.

Park is closed for a week.

www.ctvnews.ca

Riders plunge from a derailed roller-coaster in Sweden, killing one and injuring several others

A roller-coaster train derailed in Stockholm on Sunday, sending some passengers plunging to the ground in an amusement park accident that left one dead and nine injured, police and park officials said.
www.ctvnews.ca www.ctvnews.ca
 
I’ve been reading some comments online that suggest that a problem these Schwarzkopf’s can have is that if the trains lose their wheel module and slam in to the tracks it can inadvertently release the restraint mechanism. Apparently that’s what happened on Mindbender when three people were killed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindbender_(Galaxyland)

We’ve seen the pictures from Grona Lund of the person straddling the track, that’s horrifying if that’s what has happened here and the restraints have opened up.
 
Danny said:
There's a video captured by the person on the front row during the accident doing the rounds on TikTok. Why they thought the need to get their phone out and film it I've no clue. Visibly shaken and using an emoji to hide the poor sod who fell from the train, with images also taken from the hospital afterwards.

Link here if anyone is curious

From: https://www.tiktok.com/@lruvh/video/7248706607951990042?_r=1&_t=8dTKZHdobOt&social_sharing=v1
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Shock does strange things to people. It maybe was his way of dealing with it. I feel for the families involved. Especially for the deceased.

His actions maybe questionable for some but does give context to the legal system when the time comes. It's horrific and for him and others the scars may heal but the mental effect of this accident will last a lifetime.

I really would like to know how the person straddling the track came to be.
 
SuperMuscleMan said:
I really would like to know how the person straddling the track came to be.
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It sounds like they climbed out of the train when it came to a stop, and that's where they got to.

The front section of row 3 looks quite badly damaged, and there is some suggestion that the train may have separated between rows 2 and 3, which would explain impact damage here.
 
SuperMuscleMan said:
Shock does strange things to people. It maybe was his way of dealing with it.
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I think that is true, but I also think that making a video like that and making it public wouldn't be considered strange at all by some generations. Nothing is sacred, to borrow a phrase.

A slightly older generation, perhaps, might decide it wouldn't be appropriate, but a different generation would make it, post it and cover the deceased with an emoji.

A very sad incident. I don't really care for the ride and only have a couple of laps on it so I can't speak with any authority, it' obviously a pretty serious wheelbase hardware failure, but wouldn't be quick to compare it to Mindbender or Quimera - I am sure that there are shared components and there could be a ton of shared characteristics, but these trains are different.
 
I actually find that video to be intriguing because of the rider's perspective. I imagine as he was in a heat of the moment scenario and wanted to film it to show how bad the accident was, which I don't blame him for. The fact he covered up the victim with an emoji I think is not super relevant, he just wanted to show, but also perhaps be respectful to the victim. I personally think it's not that strange

Thoughts go out to the victim and their families and friends. Hope the other rides get the help they need.
 
@Ted Would you draw a distinction between filming it and filming it + sharing it on TikTok ?

Would you support it being published without the emoji covering the victim ?
 
Rick said:
@Ted Would you draw a distinction between filming it and filming it + sharing it on TikTok ?
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It's hard to say. I personally think stuff like this should remind private

Rick said:
@Ted
Would you support it being published without the emoji covering the victim ?
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No. I should clarify when I say "the emoji isn't super relevant" is more down to the fact he is using a face emoji as opposed to like say a black square covering the victim.
 
Being slightly facetious, head injuries on a Pinfari looper feels pretty par for the course.

Sounds like quite a curious incident though.
 
Thankfully it does sound like the ride itself was not at fault. Which is good as I will be in Clacton sometime next week and was hoping to ride it.
 
A bit more info from the pier, the ride was running normally, a cleaner went into a ride area they should not have been in to get litter and struck the train and rider. He also has broken ribs along with his head injury.

www.telegraph.co.uk

Two injured in Clacton Pier rollercoaster incident

Director confirms that incident ‘was not caused by any fault or malfunction in the Looping Star or by the ride operator’
www.telegraph.co.uk www.telegraph.co.uk
 
pluk said:
A bit more info from the pier, the ride was running normally, a cleaner went into a ride area they should not have been in to get litter and struck the train and rider. He also has broken ribs along with his head injury.

www.telegraph.co.uk

Two injured in Clacton Pier rollercoaster incident

Director confirms that incident ‘was not caused by any fault or malfunction in the Looping Star or by the ride operator’
www.telegraph.co.uk www.telegraph.co.uk
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What a plonker. He's lucky to have not sustained even more serious injuries. Hopefully the ride will reopen soon as it's not at fault.
 
And this is why a Danger of Death sign is not at all overstating what can happen in the most tragic of situations. If you can't keep your staff out, what hope is there for your guests.

In the theme park jobs I've done the first day of induction was "Do not go into a low zone. Do not go into a ride area" - and none of us ever did.
 
Last edited:
From the park's news blog:

Ride incident due to human error​


June 27, 2023

Early results of an internal investigation today revealed that an incident involving a ride on Clacton Pier was down to individual human error.
Two people were injured and taken to Colchester Hospital by Essex Ambulance Service yesterday afternoon.
A long-standing male member of pier staff is on a ward under observation following a cut to the head and fractured ribs.
It is not known if a woman visitor who was in the car at the front of the Looping Star ride, and suffered a bump to the head and shock, has been detained in hospital at this stage.
Pier bosses are making enquiries so that they can carry out a welfare check on the woman who was on holiday with family.
A Health and Safety (HSE) Inspector arrived on site this morning and has carried out an inspection and spoken to staff at the attraction.
Pier Director Billy Ball said that he can confirm that the incident at 12.20pm yesterday was not caused by any fault or malfunction in the Looping Star or by the ride operator.
“Our initial thoughts have been backed up by our own internal investigation so far which puts it down to individual human error,” he stated.
“The member of staff, who was not part of the rides team and was injured, was going about his duties with good intent, but in a restricted area where he should not have been.
“He had gone into the ride to clear away some rubbish, something he should not have done as the ride was due to go into service. He did not hear the car going round and was clipped by the bumper.
“He also made contact with the woman in the front of the ride on the way past and she was hit on the head and in shock.”
The Looping Star was emergency stopped by the ride operator once he became aware of the incident.

Mr Ball added that all opening and operating checks had been carried out correctly and satisfactorily yesterday morning.
He said that the HSE was made aware of the incident by Essex Police who were on scene within minutes and took accounts of what happened.
“It is part of the Police’s normal protocol and we will also be submitting a report to the HSE in due course,” he added.
“The HSE is treating this as an inspection and not a full investigation at this stage and have handed the ride back to the pier. Once the safety and integrity of the ride has been established by the pier technical team post impact it will be tested and we expect to reopen it later today.”
Mr Ball said that he had visited the injured member of staff in hospital last night and would be going back to see him today.
“All things considered he is in relatively good spirits,” he added. “We will be speaking to all staff to reiterate the importance of following approved procedures at the pier and will put on any extra training we feel necessary.”
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www.clactonpier.co.uk

Ride incident due to human error

Looping Star due to reopen
www.clactonpier.co.uk
 
A little snippet of wording in that statement makes me think the owners are going to end up with some liability

He had gone into the ride to clear away some rubbish, something he should not have done as the ride was due to go into service.

There's an insinuation there that he should not have entered the ride area because the ride was starting, not because they is a blanket rule of not entering the ride area in that role. If that's the case their own processes are probably not up to scratch.
 
Glenwood Caverns have reopened their drop tower involved in the fatality 2 years ago with some significant changes. Unsurprisingly it has been retheemed and is no longer haunted.
  • Ride Carriage Complete Enclosure: Ride carriage enclosure, moving up and down with the ride carriage, creating an elevator-type enclosure.
  • New Three-Point Restraint:
    • New Hi-Visibility Shoulder and Lap Seat Belt: Shoulder hi-visibility belt added to create three-point restraint; computer monitored to confirm belt engagement.
    • New Contrasting Loop Belt: The addition of a contrasting loop belt providing an additional means of confirming proper restraint position and engagement.
    • Retractable: The entire three-point restraint is retractable, providing better visibility and usability.
  • Seat Belt Latch Repositioning: Reposition of the seat belt latching mechanism, moving it to a higher position, closer to the rider.
  • Additional Control Panel: Additional remote ride operator control panel.
  • Guest Queue & Loading Areas: Design changes to the drop tower ride entry, and a re-designed queue area and load station. These changes will open visibility of ride operations to guests before and during entry into the ride loading area.
 
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