spoodles
Member
Wow, so it could be even worse. I can't imagine riding any lapbar-only coaster with such a high center of gravity as this poor guy. Really tragic all the way around.
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Darien Lake's rollercoaster accident, can it happen at Disney?
- Thread starter Walt Disney1955
- Start date
Wow, so it could be even worse. I can't imagine riding any lapbar-only coaster with such a high center of gravity as this poor guy. Really tragic all the way around.
irmonkey
Member
Well, that goes without saying. But who is liable when someone falls off of a ride due to staff negligence to not inspect the ride car prior to launch? I think having to transfer someone from a wheelchair onto the ride should have set off some flags and if it didn't then you have to wonder (worry) about what other safety-related corners they are cutting at Darien Lake.
UberMouse
Active Member
Then I may have misunderstood. So he was not wearing prosthetic legs at the time? If he was then it would have been very difficult for someone on staff to notice. I took it as he came free from his prosthetic legs during the ride. It says that he was loosely attached to his legs. I have been around a lot of people with prosthetics, and depending on what type he had it could be very hard if not impossible for someone on staff to know the difference between him and someone with a slight limp.
Lee
Adventurer
The only ride at WDW where this would remotely be a possiblilty would be Tower, since it is the only one that really has any negative G forces that would fling a rider out of the train. But it's doubtful that it would be fatal in that instance.
What happened at Darrien Lake was completely avoidable.
-The employees should never have let him on the ride.
-He was informed by signage that he would not be allowed to ride, and should have known better than to get on the ride,
Also, non-looping coasters almost never have over-the-shoulder restraints. I think a couple of the newer Intamin gigas do, like Intimidator 305, but it is exceedingly rare.
What happened at Darrien Lake was completely avoidable.
-The employees should never have let him on the ride.
-He was informed by signage that he would not be allowed to ride, and should have known better than to get on the ride,
Also, non-looping coasters almost never have over-the-shoulder restraints. I think a couple of the newer Intamin gigas do, like Intimidator 305, but it is exceedingly rare.
CheshireKat
New Member
I can't help but wonder if this guy was actually committing suicide by going on this coaster. It just defies logic that he would ride without any prosthetic legs and expect to be held in by a lap bar.
Someone mentioned Scorpion at Busch Gardens as a loop coaster with only a lap bar, however you are fastened in there pretty tight, it isn't a regular lap bar.
Also Flight of Fear at King's Island for some reason only had a lap bar. This is a coaster in the dark that loops you violently 6 times and is fast from start to finish. However, you are very snug in there, you aren't going anywhere and the force keeps your back against the seat anyway. But it kind of surprises you when you first get on.
Non-loop coasters like Superman have similar restraints as well. Millennium at Cedar Point. Behemoth at Canada's Wonderland, Diamondback at King's Island. None of these rides are friendly to a bigger individual to even fit on for some reason. And there is only the lap bar that goes in between your legs.
If you do some more research you will see that there was another person who flew out of Superman at Darien Lake. Although by the description it seemed to be his fault as well
And that's just the thing. Was there a hold up and the guests in line started to get antsy? Was there a chant to "Let him Ride, Let him Ride". If so, these are things that a 20 year old operator (might have been his age I don't know) would not know how to handle. Peer pressure at its finest.
Lee
Adventurer
Four inversions, actually...but who's counting.
If I recall correctly, FoF also scrures you around your ankles, as well...
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
It depends on what the manufacturer offers and even what the park wants. Top Thrill Dragster has lap bars and Kingda Ka has over-the-shoulder restraints. Some coasters have been changed from lap bars to over-the-shoulder restraints and some with over-the-shoulder restraints have been switched over to lap bars. Six Flags Over Georgia's new coaster has a lap restraint, more than a bar, that does multiple, slow inversions where the restraint literally has to hold you in place. This being the second person to be thrown from [Superman] Ride of Steel it would not surprise me if the trains are outfitted with over-the-shoulder restraints during the off season.
isman250
Active Member
How are they negligent, if he is wearing jeans and using prosthetic leg and doesnt say anything, thats just not knowing. I feel bad dont get me wrong, but I hate that you can sue for anything in this world.
wilkeliza
Well-Known Member
It was reported that he was not wearing his prosthetics. He was in his wheel chair and he even stopped by guest services to ask how he could access the rides with his wheel chair. He was also offered information pertaining to what rides were safe for what type of disabilities and he refused saying he already had a copy. No one can confirm if he actually had a copy or not.
I sadly think this is the case of him continuing to want to live a normal life. I commend him for his service to our country and his sacrifice but when something tragic happens you can't just ignore it and go on living life as you did before. It sucks that he wouldn't be able to ride this specific roller coaster any more but there had to be some that would be safe for him.
*I wanted to point out that a double leg amputee who is missing part of his thigh would be hard to miss prosthetic or not. He would have much more then a limp and probably have to use crutches to walk in the prosthetics.
I sadly think this is the case of him continuing to want to live a normal life. I commend him for his service to our country and his sacrifice but when something tragic happens you can't just ignore it and go on living life as you did before. It sucks that he wouldn't be able to ride this specific roller coaster any more but there had to be some that would be safe for him.
*I wanted to point out that a double leg amputee who is missing part of his thigh would be hard to miss prosthetic or not. He would have much more then a limp and probably have to use crutches to walk in the prosthetics.
UberMouse
Active Member
Okay, after reading the news articles it appears as though he was not wearing his prosthetic legs. This causes me to lean more toward the ignorant/negligent side of things for the ride operators. Not to be further insensitive, but I would think that he would also fall under the "you must be this tall to ride" rule. Again, not being insensitive, how many times has a child under a certain height been turned back from riding a particular ride? To me regardless of him not having legs that should have triggered at least one of the operator's common sense gene.
EvanAnderson
Active Member
^Unless he rolled up the exit in his wheelchair and used the "I'm disabled, and a vet, give me what I want".
Back when I worked at Six Flags, the requirement was that all riders MUST have three limbs. One of the three limbs coul be be a prosthetic limb, but had to have three. I don't remember, though, if they had to have at least one biological leg (it has been over ten years)...but there were rules.
In any event, the family has every right to sue, should they pursue that path. Despite the fact that he ignored warning signs, it was the park's negligence from preventing him to ride that caused the accident. The average person may not know WHY the rule is in place, and think it will be "ok." I'm sure even at Disney people try to "con" their way onto rides they can't ride because of some factor (too short, etc.).
juniorthomas
Well-Known Member
Well one part of a height requirement is that usually people of a certain stature have a build that makes the safety harnesses on most rides a little more accurate. Though he may not have hit the appropriate height without legs, his body was more than likely able to fit into the harness properly.
Of course, in the end something went wrong. If height did or didn't a factor, it's a shame either way.
juniorthomas
Well-Known Member
That's pretty impressive. I never would have thought a rule like that would have existed, but with hindsight it certainly seems valuable now.
AEfx
Well-Known Member
I'm surprised no one has mentioned that this has happened before, with the same ride at Six Flags New England. Huge story a few years ago, still called the "Death Coaster" in these parts. A full-bodied but disabled man (MS? CP?) slid right out under the restraint and died.
And I'm not sure, but I remember that that wasn't the first one associated with the Man of Steel, either.
And I'm not sure, but I remember that that wasn't the first one associated with the Man of Steel, either.
AEfx
Well-Known Member
And to answer the OP...it already has, at least if you mean people dying on roller coasters :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incidents_at_Disneyland_Resort
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incidents_at_Walt_Disney_World_Resort
Big Thunder at Disneyland is probably the worst; bad maintenance caused a car to break off from the locomotive, the locomotive flew in the air and landed on a rider, killing them.
If Disney can survive that...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incidents_at_Disneyland_Resort
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incidents_at_Walt_Disney_World_Resort
Big Thunder at Disneyland is probably the worst; bad maintenance caused a car to break off from the locomotive, the locomotive flew in the air and landed on a rider, killing them.
If Disney can survive that...
WondersOfLife
Blink, blink. Breathe, breathe. Day in, day out.
This is very sad.. 
The rides I think that could happen are...
Rockin' Roller Coaster
Thunder Mountain
Space Mountain
Mount Everest
Splash Mountain
Tower of Terror
Dinosaur
...and Imagination, if possible for him, he would've jumped out and committed suicide.
-WondersOfLife
The last original pavilion. :king:
The rides I think that could happen are...
Rockin' Roller Coaster
Thunder Mountain
Space Mountain
Mount Everest
Splash Mountain
Tower of Terror
Dinosaur
...and Imagination, if possible for him, he would've jumped out and committed suicide.
-WondersOfLife
The last original pavilion. :king: