The narrator discusses several instances of theme park rides that had to be shut down due to safety issues, accidents, or design flaws.
The narrator starts by mentioning the Sand Blaster ride at Daytona beaches boardwalk. In June 2018, the coaster's front car derailed, throwing two riders 34 feet to the ground. The ride was shut down immediately after the incident, and upon inspection, it was found that the ride had been operating with more than a dozen violations, including damaged seats, excessive corrosion, and a large crack in the track. Despite these issues, the ride was reopened after maintenance, but it failed its inspection again due to more excessive corrosion. The ride was torn down in 2019.
Next, the narrator discusses the Vortex ride at Thorpe Park. In 2018, a large piece of foam flew off one of the ride seats, causing panic among the riders. The ride was shut down immediately, and upon inspection, it was found that the foam was not a piece of critical machinery. The ride was reopened just 15 minutes later.
The narrator then talks about the Vertical Accelerator ride at Florida's Cobra Adventure Park. In 2019, the ride's cables were found to be worn and stretched, and the ride was closed immediately. The park released a statement claiming that all their attractions always maintained the highest safety standards.
The narrator also discusses the Leap-The-Gap ride, a trackless loop the loop that was never built due to physics limitations. The narrator mentions the Coney Island Canon Coaster, which was originally going to include a track that jumped a gap, but several tests resulted in a catastrophic number of crashes, leading to the abandonment of the idea.
The narrator then talks about the Tsunami ride at M&D's theme park in Scotland. In June 2016, the ride's yellow drain derailed, striking a support beam at 40 miles per hour and plunging down 30 feet below, landing in a devastating heap in front of the ride. Two adults and eight children were injured in the crash. The ride was removed from the park and M&D were fined just under $100,000 for health and safety breaches.
The narrator also discusses the Hypersonic XLC at King's Dominion Amusement Park, which was shut down in 2007 due to being unreliable. The narrator mentions the Emerald Plunge slide at the Wave Water Park in Dublin, California, which was closed after a 10-year-old boy was sent careening over the side onto the bare concrete.
The narrator then talks about the Superman Tower of Power at SixFlags Kentucky Kingdom. In 2007, a 13-year-old boy was severed in half by a cable while on the ride. The ride was shut down and never reopened.
The narrator also discusses the Ride of Steel at New York's Darien Lake Theme Park. In 2011, a war veteran was ejected from his seat and did not survive. The ride was allowed to reopen after an undisclosed seven-figure settlement.
The narrator then talks about the Cyclone rollercoaster at Coney Island's Luna Park. The ride has been associated with several accidents due to its single lap bar restraints. The ride was shut down in 1985 and 1988 due to accidents, but it was allowed to reopen after painting a remain seated sign at the coaster's peak.
The narrator also discusses the New Texas Giant at King's Island Ohio. In 2013, a larger lady tumbled out of her train carriage and fell 75 feet. The ride was shut down for two months and reopened with redesigned lap bars and added seatbelts.
The narrator concludes by mentioning the Flight Commander ride at King's Island Ohio. The ride has been associated with several accidents, and the park has a poor safety record.
1. The text talks about various theme park rides that had to be shut down due to accidents or safety issues.
2. One of these rides was "The Sand Blaster" located in Daytona beaches boardwalk. In June 2018, it derailed, throwing two riders 34 feet to the ground.
3. The ride had been operating since 2013 but was shut down due to several safety violations including damaged seats, excessive corrosion, and a large crack in the track.
4. The ride was allowed to reopen after maintenance but failed its inspection again due to excessive corrosion in May 2019.
5. The ride was torn down in 2019 after the investigation revealed that the cars had been hitting the corners at a speed of 22 miles per hour, causing the derailment.
6. Another ride mentioned was "The Vortex" at Thorpe Park. In 2018, a large piece of the ride ripped off and plummeted towards the riders on the downswing, but it missed them by mere inches.
7. The "Vertical Accelerator" at Florida's Cobra Adventure Park had a close call when the shredding cord flew off and the ride was about to pull the release lever.
8. The "Leap-The-Gap" was a concept of a track jumping rollercoaster, but due to physics and the limitations of roller coaster drains, it doesn't exist.
9. The "Tsunami" at M&D's theme park in Scotland derailed in June 2016, striking a support beam at 40 miles per hour and plunging 30 feet below.
10. The ride was removed from the park and M&D were fined just under $100,000 for health and safety breaches.
11. The "Hypersonic XLC" at King's Dominion Amusement Park in Virginia had a two-hour long wait for a 10-second long ride.
12. The ride was shut down in 2007 due to being unreliable and causing several lawsuits.
13. The "Emerald Plunge" at the Wave Water Park in Dublin, California, caused a 10-year-old boy to be sent careening over the side onto bare concrete.
14. The ride was closed for 90 minutes after the incident and reopened in 2018 following some small water flow changes.
15. The "Superman, Tower of Power" at SixFlags Kentucky Kingdom had a cable fail while a 13-year-old girl was on the ride, severing both of her feet.
16. The ride was shut down and never reopened.
17. The "Ride of Steel" at New York's Darien Lake Theme Park had a tragic accident when a war veteran was ejected from his seat and fell 10 feet to the ground.
18. The ride was allowed to reopen after modifications, but the park ended up having to pay out an undisclosed seven-figure settlement.
19. The "Cyclone" at Coney Island's Luna Park has a poor safety record with riders only secured by a single lap bar.
20. The ride is still operational despite several accidents, with a "remain seated" sign painted at the coaster's peak.
21. The "New Texas Giant" was the tallest wooden rollercoaster in the world when it debuted in 1990.
22. The ride underwent renovation in 2009 and was reopened in 2011 as the "New Texas Giant".
23. In July 2013, a lady tumbled out of her carriage at the first steep descent and fell 75 feet.
24. The ride was shut down again pending an investigation.
25. Safety experts questioned the ride's choice of restraint system, which only secured riders with a lap bar, despite the high speeds and extreme turns.