The narrative discusses several instances of theme park rides that were shut down due to safety concerns.
1. **Son of Beast**: This wooden roller coaster at Kings Island in Ohio was known for its rough and jerky ride. In 2006, a train of riders was seriously injured when a wooden support beam cracked and splintered. The ride was repaired and reopened in 2009, but another rider suffered head trauma due to the coaster's violent shaking. The ride was shut down indefinitely in 2012.
2. **The Dangerous Dragon Challenge**: This ride at Universal Studios in Orlando was a pair of inverted, intertwined roller coasters. In 2011, a 52-year-old man was struck across the face by an object flung from the other car during the iconic loop. The ride was shut down in 2017.
3. **Grueling Green Lantern**: This roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain was hyped as the world's first completely vertical-pattern, zig-zagged roller coaster with 360-degree spinning seats. However, riders were jerked and jostled around the short 825-foot track at top speeds of just 37 miles per hour. The ride was shut down in 2019.
4. **Opa**: This colorful indoor coaster at Mt. Olympus Park in Wisconsin was only 43 feet high, with a top speed of just 29 miles per hour. In 2014, a safety bar failed, and a rider was flung 17 feet onto the hard concrete below. The ride was permanently closed the same year.
5. **The Human Catapult**: This ride at Divo Ostrov amusement park in Saint Petersburg, Russia, loads up 10 wannabe-cosmonauts onto a ground level gondola, which is attached to a giant arm by two cables. In 2015, one of the cables snapped mid-ride, causing the gondola to crash. The ride was shut down and removed from the park just two days later.
6. **The Smiler**: This world-record-breaking inverted roller coaster at Alton Towers in England had 14 inversions. In 2015, a car full of riders collided with an empty test car, causing the metal of their car to buckle and pinning the front-row passengers into their seats. All 16 riders suffered some degree of injury, but two girls in the front row lost their legs. The ride was closed and an in-depth investigation was set in motion.
7. **Action Park**: This amusement park in New Jersey was considered to be the most dangerous in the world. The park had a number of dangerous rides, including the Cannon Ball Loop, the Colorado River Ride, and Surf Kill. The park was shut down in 1996.
8. **Perilous Plunge**: This water ride at Knott's Berry Farm in California had a record-breaking 115-foot super-steep plunge from the top. In 2001, a 300-pound rider slipped out of the restraints and fell more than 100 feet into the shallow pool below. The ride was closed for a short time and reopened with new four-point restraints.
9. **Verruckt**: This was the world's tallest water slide at Schlitterbahn park in Kansas City. During test runs, if the rafts were loaded with more than 1,000 pounds, they flew off the slide entirely. In 2016, a 10-year-old boy perished on Verruckt when he was ejected up into the netting. The ride was shut down and dismantled in 2016.
10. **The Human Trebuchet**: This ride at the Dangerous Sports Club in England was designed to launch people 100 feet over the English countryside. In 2002, a student was flung so far off target that he missed the net completely and didn't survive. The ride was shut down for good.
11. **Fatal Fujin Raijin II**: This steel coaster at Expoland in Japan
1. The narrator discusses the adrenaline-pumping experience of theme park rides, attracting millions of people every year.
2. Despite warning signs and safety measures, not all theme park rides are as safe as they appear.
3. The narrator mentions a Russian ride that broke and had its passengers suspended by a thread, and a catapult that nearly crushed its riders.
4. The narrator introduces the roller coaster "Son of Beast", which was the world's fastest and tallest wooden roller coaster when it opened in 2000.
5. In 2006, a train of riders on "Son of Beast" was bucked as if it had hit a huge pothole, causing serious injuries to 27 riders.
6. The ride was repaired and reopened in 2009, but another rider suffered head trauma caused by the coaster's violent shaking.
7. The ride was shut down indefinitely in 2012 due to its rough reputation and bumpy past.
8. The narrator introduces the roller coaster "The Dangerous Dragon Challenge", which was opened in 1999 at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.
9. In 2011, a 52-year-old man was injured when something flung out from the other car during the iconic loop of the ride.
10. The ride was shut down in 2017 due to its waning popularity and the risk of injuries.
11. The narrator introduces the roller coaster "Grueling Green Lantern", which was opened in Six Flags Magic Mountain in 2011.
12. In 2014, a safety bar on the ride failed, flinging Anthony Theisen 17 feet onto the hard concrete below.
13. The ride was shut down in 2019 due to its short lifespan and the risk of injuries.
14. The narrator introduces the roller coaster "The Human Catapult", which catapults riders up to 450 feet in the air at speeds of around 100 miles per hour.
15. In 2015, a cable on the ride snapped, smashing all that tension just inches away from a boy.
16. The ride was shut down and removed from the park just two days later.
17. The narrator introduces the roller coaster "Cosmonaut Chaos", which is located in the Divo Ostrov amusement park in Saint Petersburg.
18. In 2010, one of the cables snapped mid-ride, hanging 10 people by a thread.
19. The ride was shut down briefly for repairs before reopening later that year.
20. The narrator introduces the roller coaster "The Smiler", which was opened in Alton Towers in England in 2013.
21. In 2015, a car full of riders collided with an empty test car, resulting in severe injuries.
22. The ride was shut down, and an in-depth investigation was set in motion.
23. The narrator introduces "Action Park", which was considered the most dangerous amusement park in the world.
24. The park had 14 serious accidents, resulting in at least 16 injuries and six fatalities.
25. The narrator introduces the roller coaster "Perilous Plunge", which was opened in Knott's Berry Farm in 2000.
26. In 2001, a 300-pound rider slipped out of the restraints and fell more than 100 feet into the shallow pool below, resulting in her death.
27. The ride was shut down and reopened with new four-point restraints.
28. The narrator introduces the world's tallest water slide "Verruckt", which was built in Kansas City's Schlitterbahn park.
29. In 2016, a 10-year-old boy perished on Verruckt when he was ejected up into the netting.
30. The ride was shut down and dismantled in 2016.
31. The narrator introduces the "Human Trebuchet", a medieval catap