Credit: City News Whenever someone goes to a theme park, they never assume that they will be getting on a ride only to be injured.
Regarding entertainment at theme parks, the world has expanded so vastly in options. There are thrill levels and experiences for everyone to enjoy of all ages, price points, and styles of attraction, but safety is always expected and, sadly, now guaranteed.
For those looking to see the cream of the crop, the Disney Parks (Walt Disney World, Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disney Resort, Shanghai Disneyland, and Hong Kong Disneyland) can offer fantastic theming, top-tier attractions, and the chance to meet Mickey Mouse himself. The Universal theme parks such as Universal Orlando Resort also provide guests with immersive experiences and thrills (and the chance to enter the Wizarding World of Harry Potter). That being said, traveling to these destinations is not always possible.
Then, theme park lovers and thrill seekers can discover theme parks that are more local to them, such as the Cedar Fair brand. On top of that, there are options like water parks and, more recently, action-style theme parks, which allow their guests to experience thrilling, more dangerous attractions such as go-kart racing, tubing, and other physical attractions.
In Canada, the Canadian National Exhibition, or the CNE, is Canada’s largest annual fair and the fifth largest in North America, located in Toronto, Ontario. It began in 1879, and is a staple in Canadian culture. The fair brings in 1.5 million guests per year during its short run. To provide some more insight, Magic Kingdom averages around 57,000 guests per day. It would take around 26 days for Magic Kingdom to hit 1.5 million guests, and the CNE only runs for 18 days, meaning the CNE averages a higher guest count than Magic Kingdom.
The fair has recently undergone a tragic event where one of the more popular rides had a faulty issue when it came to strapping in guests, and one rider seemingly flew out of the high speed attraction. The Toronto Star reported, “The incident occurred at around 9:25 p.m. on the Polar Express ride, according to a joint statement from the Canadian National Exhibition and North American Midway Entertainment, which provides the midway rides and games for the annual summer fair.”
Toronto police said a man went to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries as a result of the incident. According to paramedics, it was an 18-year-old who was injured on the ride and taken to a trauma center.
One rider was interviewed, and when asked about the safety of the ride, she said, “I didn’t feel unsafe but it kind of felt like you were maybe not the most buckled in when you’re on it.”
As the ride slowed down, she saw the passenger in front of their car jump out. She assumed he wasn’t enjoying the ride or got scared and wanted off. “But right when we were slowing down, our cart stopped right in front of (a different man) who was taken to hospital,” the rider said. She saw the injured man lying on the ground in the fetal position and appearing unconscious.
“The guy that jumped out came to his side and tried to shake him. He wasn’t responding so he’s freaking out,” said the interviewed rider. The friend started yelling for someone to call an ambulance as staff stood there, she said, adding she thinks the workers may have been in shock.
“Safety is a top priority for the CNE, and the Polar Express will remain closed until the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) and our third-party consultants can ensure the ride was not compromised,” the CNE said in the emailed joint statement to the Star.
The Polar Express ride remains shut down, with the looming tone of the fair being unsafe attractions, now underlying all guests who may be second guessing if that crazy ride is really worth it.
The Injuries Continue…
When guests visit a theme park, they tend to believe that the proper protocols have been checked to ensure that the ride that they are on is safe, and functions properly. One major amusement park failed to do anything about its already broken attraction, which left one father severely injured.
We have been seeing an increase in theme park injuries as of late, some of which are due to theme parks knowingly ignoring ride malfunctions. Instead of fixing what appears to be a very apparent issue to many, they ignore it, which always ends in a guest suffering.
Unfortunately, theme park injuries are pretty common as of late. We just recently reported on an incident that occurred at the Virginia theme park Kings Dominion. A child was injured on the Park’s Snoopy Space Buggies ride after exiting the attraction before it ended.
Related: Popular Theme Park Ignores Attraction Malfunction, Man Left in “Carnage”
In other news, A Bergen County man has reportedly filed a lawsuit against American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey, claiming he broke his leg after riding one of the slides at DreamWorks Water Park, North America’s largest indoor water park. A 30-year-old man stated he fractured his leg after sliding down the Zany & Zanier Zigzag water slide. He landed at high speed in a shallow splash pool at the bottom of the slide while visiting DreamWorks Water Park in the mall complex.
Related: Record-Breaking Theme Park Ride Destroyed After Fatal Accident
Another tragic incident at Grona Lund Amusement Park recently occurred in Central Stockholm, Sweden, which injured multiple guests and caused the death of a 35-year-old woman who fell off the roller coaster. Inside the Magic has also reported that an attraction at SeaWorld San Diego has shut down after a guest suffered a severe injury while aboard. According to the reports, the guest sustained a leg injury aboard the Electric Eel coaster. It was later confirmed that a man in his 20s was taken to a local hospital following the alleged incident.
Related: Woman Violently Tossed Out of Attraction at Apocalypse Theme Park, Left Burned
Fury, 325 at Carowinds, had also been completely shut down after videos revealed a crack in the ride’s support. Recently, a woman from Michigan, Rachel Hawes, of Swarts Creek, was standing in the Top Thrill Dragster line when a dislodged metal plate from the coaster train struck her in the head. She was left severely injured with brain damage.
Have you ever been injured at a theme park or seen an injury at a theme park?