IIlIlIIllIlIIIlIl Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Six Flags released another short statement early Saturday morning: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. The investigation into the death at Texas Giant is still ongoing. We are working closely with authorities to determine the cause of the accident. The ride will remain closed. In addition, we have canceled the concert that was scheduled for today." The park clarified that the investigation is "internal" and no other park attractions will be closed because of the accident. The KIDZ Star USA talent search auditions on Saturday and Sunday have been cancelled. This follows the earlier cancellation of a Saturday night concert from Bridgit Mendler. Original story: Six Flags Over Texas announced Saturday morning that the Texas Giant roller coaster will remain closed as authorities investigate a woman's fatal plunge from the Texas Giant roller coaster Friday night. The Arlington amusement park still has released few details beyond reporting that its medical staff and city paramedics had responded immediately. The victim’s name was not released. Besides keeping the ride closed, Six Flags has canceled a concert by singer and actress Bridgit Mendler that had been scheduled for Saturday night. Park officials offered their condolences to the woman’s family as investigators began to study the cause of the accident, which occurred after 6:30 p.m. Although the ride was closed, the park remained open through the evening. Early attention was beginning to focus on witnesses’ reports that the woman’s safety restraint may have come undone. Carmen Brown of Arlington was waiting in line as the victim was being secured in for the ride. She said she believed that the woman’s son was on the ride with her. Brown said the woman had expressed concern to a park employee that she was not secured correctly in her seat. “He was basically nonchalant,” Brown said. “He was, like, ‘As long as you heard it click, you’re fine.’ Hers was the only one that went down once, and she didn’t feel safe. But they let her still get on the ride.” She said the victim fell out of the ride as it made a sudden maneuver. “The lady basically tumbled over,” she said. “We heard her screaming. We were, like, ‘Did she just fall?’” Investigators were interviewing witnesses on the ride, some of whom reported that the woman had been thrown from the roller coaster as it rounded a turn. Arlington police declined to comment on the accident. Hysterical passengers had to wait to disembark as the train stopped short of the platform. John and Darlene Putman of Rockwall said they were in line to board the roller coaster as the train in which the woman had been riding returned. John Putman told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he heard two people screaming, “‘My mom! My mom! Let us out, we need to go get her!’” Reports from park visitors began spreading rapidly on social media online, drawing worried parents and others to the gates to check on family members. Joshua Paul Fleak posted on Twitter that he believed that the woman’s restraint had come undone. “Just witnessed someone fly off of the Texas giant two seats in front of me,” he said. “… Coaster turned and she was gone.” The Texas Giant opened in 1990 as the world’s tallest wooden roller coaster but was closed in November 2009 to convert it to a steel-and-wood hybrid. Although the rebuilt ride incorporates some of the original structure, it includes 4,700 feet of new track. When it reopened in April 2011, the expanded coaster offered a smoother ride and a higher top speed of 65 mph. It features a 79-degree drop and three turns sharper than 90 degrees. Friday’s accident was the second ride fatality for a guest at the park since it opened in 1961. In 1999, Valeria Cartwright of West Helena, Ark., drowned when a Roaring Rapids raft capsized. Ten other people were injured in that accident. In March 2006, passengers on the park’s Texas Tornado ride reported injuries when the ride slowed rapidly and several of its swings collided. In another amusement park accident Friday, a boat on a thrill ride at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, rolled backward down a hill and flipped over in water when the ride malfunctioned, injuring all seven people on it. Six Flags Entertainment Corp. emerged from bankruptcy protection in 2010 after the company said it needed to shed $1.8 billion in debt. In April, the company posted record revenue. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl0Ntdd47-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Brahma Bull Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 I had planned to go on that one next summer. I've been looking at all of the povs on youtube. Oh well, I'll still go on Mr. Freeze Reverse Blast. This is very sad. I feel so badly for her children. There's witness info about the employee possibly not hearing all of the clicks when checking the seat, but I don't know about the reliability of that information. There has to be a massive lawsuit coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Sparkle Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 “He was, like, ‘As long as you heard it click, you’re fine.’ i understand that you may hate your job and all, but come on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pimpcurtly Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danthecanucksfan Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 This honestly happens every year, someone dies from a amusement park accident. But usually its due to mechanical failure, not human error. Really sad that the employee did not make sure she was safely buckled in. This reminds me of the one time I was at the PNE and I went on one of those dinky rides on the side of the park. Seatbelt was broken and the ride began, didnt really enjoy the upsidedown part of the ride without a seatbelt, but the ride attendant didn't make sure my belt was in, and didn't care when I told him about it. Anyways, this isnt about me. R.I.P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nuxfanabroad Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Reminds me of the tragedy(1980's) at the West Ed mall coaster-I think a few were killed? Supposedly, rather gruesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Wow, this is such a bad way to lose a family member. I could just imagine how the child was feeling after his mom fell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrible.dee Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 God bless her poor children, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UFCanuck Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 That ride is one of the least scariest and one of the slowest roller-coasters in the park. I'm surprised a death happened on that one, I lost my f'ing hat on it though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avicii Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 I was just talking to my friend about how scary it would be to fall off a rollercoaster.. This sucks. Wooden Rollercoasters are known for their "dangerous/un-safe" feeling which makes it more exciting, but come on. It's not actually supposed to be dangerous.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbal23 Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Why is it that when I read she sat by her son that my mind went to the kid fidgeting with the belt and accidentally opening it, leading to her falling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMapleLaughs Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Dude, if you know it's not safe and your life is on the line... Um, get off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Ambien Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Coasters nowadays are not built for fat people. Yet I witnessed while in line park employees at Cedar Point telling women and men who were using the test seat next to the entrance to major thrill rides to suck their gut in and try to make the belt click or to put the belt around a part of their torso that wasn't as bloated. Clearly the employer needs to make their employees more vigilant at not letting fat people who don't understand the risk they pose to themselves and others on the rides if there's any remote trouble using safety devices that hold them onto the ride. Simple as that. Many parks like Cedar Point downsized their seat sizes (I noticed this as I was almost too tall to ride the Top Thrill Dragster) as well as seatbelt sizes (or Americans have really just become that much fatter since I saw so many huge people in line at the test seats) yet try and force people into the ride anyways. I don't get it. They're asking for an accident -- after more of these incidents occur maybe the employer will start considering their financial liability and make employees do their job correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73 Percent Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 aaaaaaaaaaaand I'm now terrified Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HTania Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 aaaaaaaaaaaand I'm now terrified Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaimito Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Coasters nowadays are not built for fat people. Yet I witnessed while in line park employees at Cedar Point telling women and men who were using the test seat next to the entrance to major thrill rides to suck their gut in and try to make the belt click or to put the belt around a part of their torso that wasn't as bloated. Clearly the employer needs to make their employees more vigilant at not letting fat people who don't understand the risk they pose to themselves and others on the rides if there's any remote trouble using safety devices that hold them onto the ride. Simple as that. Many parks like Cedar Point downsized their seat sizes (I noticed this as I was almost too tall to ride the Top Thrill Dragster) as well as seatbelt sizes (or Americans have really just become that much fatter since I saw so many huge people in line at the test seats) yet try and force people into the ride anyways. I don't get it. They're asking for an accident -- after more of these incidents occur maybe the employer will start considering their financial liability and make employees do their job correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonLever Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 I see a humongus lawsuit over this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EX_Bert_Worshipper Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Why is it that when I read she sat by her son that my mind went to the kid fidgeting with the belt and accidentally opening it, leading to her falling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Colt 45s Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 The Texas Giant is an amazing ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbal23 Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 I think her son was older - not a little kid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.