Popular Theme Park Ignores Attraction Malfunction, Man Left in "Carnage" - Inside the Magic

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.

An example of this happened recently when a shocking incident occurred at a theme park in North Carolina, resulting in the closure of a popular ride. Fury 325 at Carowinds had been completely shut down after videos revealed a crack in the ride’s support. In this case, however, it seems that the theme park was completely unaware that the support beam of the attraction was crumbling, and a Guest had to be the one to point it out. Thankfully, this issue was caught before any Guest has to suffer.

That was not the case for father of two, Craig Knight.

One iconic amusement park has recently left a dad with a broken back, after having to hear the “crunch” of the injury due to a ride malfunction that the theme park reportedly knew about. The Mirror reported, “Craig Knight, from Cardiff, took his children Logan and Cassie, and their friend Ffion to Coney Beach Amusement Park in Porthcawl on Wednesday, July 26, and they decided to have a go on the Waltzer ride. But Craig was left hospitalized from the ride as the day took a painful turn.”

While on the ride, the vehicle came off the track, causing Knight to feel a crunch in his back.

The report continued to note that Knight was left lying in the rain for an hour before he was taken to the hospital; “The contracts manager for the MSS group claimed that during the ride, in an area where the cart spins and the ramps create a bump, “the cart derailed and lifted from the track causing him to feel a crunch in his back”. After the incident, he was removed from the ride and left to lay for around an hour and a half in the pouring rain, before being driven to hospital by a family member”.

Knight was treated for a broken back once he arrived in the hospital, and publically posted a message detailing what had happened to him, and the chilling fact that this is a common issue for the attraction that has not been rectified:

“I was at the fairground with my family, I was on the Waltzer when the attendant span us fairly fast, where the carts spins and the ramps creating a bumpy ride the cart had derailed and lifted from the track causing me to feel a crunch in my back.

“I am currently laying in A&E with a broken back. Apparently management have been made aware of some past issues as I was told by the ride attendant. I just hope to God they have shut the ride down pending investigation’s and safety checks.”

The story old got worse after Craig’s partner, Katie Cusak spoke out on the injury:

“I had a phone call from my daughter probably about 1.30pm crying telling me ‘Dad’s on the floor and he can’t move’. He went on the Waltzer ride with the kids and said as they were spinning around, the whole seating area just jolted in the air and lifted off the racks and when it landed he said he heard a crunch in his back, his face went white, and my son started screaming for them to stop the ride. It took four people to get him off the ride when they stopped it, and he was laying on the floor for a good hour and a half in the pouring down rain waiting for an ambulance.

They were told the ambulance was going to be another two to three hours, and a few of them managed to get him up and get him into a car driven by his brother. He got off to hospital and went for an X-Ray, and straight away it came back and found he had a fracture in his spine.

They are going to put a brace on him and did a few tests on his legs, but they want to do a proper assessment today on his bottom half. It was absolutely terrifying for him. He knew it was quite serious because of the pain. He was lying there for about an hour and a half, there was no shelter, he was soaking wet. Craig is in a lot of pain and is on a lot of pain relief – morphine – he didn’t get a bed until 2.30am and was stuck in A&E assessment which was carnage.”

Coney Beach Amusement Park did release a statement regarding the injury, “Coney Beach is aware of the incident. First Aid were called immediately and responded. The customer, Mr Knight, was covered with a blanket and made comfortable whilst an ambulance was called. Senior staff stayed with him throughout the situation. Due to the delay in the ambulance arriving, Mr Knight decided he wanted to go home. He insisted on leaving despite advice to the contrary from the ambulance service. Coney Beach regards the health and safety of all its patrons as of paramount importance. Along with all other rides at the park, the Waltzer undergoes a thorough daily check prior to it being open to the public and again following this incident. Nothing was shown to be wrong with the ride. Pending ongoing investigations, Coney Beach has nothing further to add.”

After reading both explanations of what happened, it seems that there are major discrepancies on how Mr. Knight was cared for following the injury.

Although a broken back is a horrible injury, we are happy to hear that the injury was not fatal. Information regarding what is likely to be an impending lawsuit has not yet been released.

Other Theme Park Injuries

Cedar Point has been the scene of a few theme park injuries; we recently reported that debris from one of their roller coasters broke off from the ride during Memorial Day Weekend. According to officials in the Park, part of a urethane tire tread separated from the wheel on the famous roller coaster, Corkscrew, fell onto the midway, where Guests have a path to walk through the coaster safely. Read more here.

On August 15 of 2021, there was an accident at Cedar Point (owned by Cedar Fair) that involved the 420-foot (128-meter) tall Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster, according to ABC News. The coaster, which opened in 2003, launches riders on a straightaway at 120 mph (193 kph) before it climbs a hill and then comes back down. Lasting only 20 seconds, the ride is highly thrilling for Guests, but things went wrong for one rider who was allegedly struck by a metal object while riding. The Guest was moved from one hospital to another, but the severity of the injury was not announced by ABC, however, other reports noted the woman was left with brain damage. 

USA Today reported on a recent injury taking place on July 22, when a cell phone flew from one Guest, striking another in the face and causing him to bleed and feel dizzy. The report reads, “A Cedar Point season-pass holder was diagnosed with a concussion after he said he was hit in the head Saturday by a loose iPhone while riding a roller coaster at the Ohio amusement park.”I had blood dripping down my face, and I felt a bit dizzy,” David Carter, a paramedic in his 20s, told the Detroit Free Press.”

We have also seen multiple injuries at Universal Orlando Resort as well as Walt Disney World Resort –– home to Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT. On top of that, they have two water parks where you can splash around in the chill of Disney’s Blizzard Beach, or hit the waves at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. None of these are meant to injure Guests, but accidents do happen.

The popular UK theme park describes itself as:

The Pleasure Park at Coney Beach Porthcawl welcomes you for fantastic Family Fun. Whether it’s our amusement park for family rides or our fun packed arcades, we’ve got something for everyone! Now offering a 10% discount off wristband packages, when booked 24 hours in advance online.

If you’re looking for a day out at the seaside that offers affordable fun for all the family then look no further. Coney Beach Pleasure Park in Porthcawl are ready to treat our guests with bundles of fun and there’s extra’s too, with shows and events throughout the season! Moreover, Coney Beach Park is situated in the centre of this bustling seaside resort, adjacent to a busy town with an array of guesthouses, Airbnb, hotels, bars and restaurants. Additionally, there’s one of the largest caravan parks in Europe within walking distance, only 3 miles from junction 37 of the M4. Therefore, making it a top destination for a holiday on the South Wales coast.

Coney Beach Pleasure Park has been providing all the fun and thrills of a traditional fairground since it first opened its gates over 100 years ago. A lot has changed over the years but these long standing traditions are very much the same. Coney Beach Amusement Park has much to offer including arcades, food and beverage and award winning Ice Cream vendors. And of course, a mile of golden Sandy beach with ‘all the fun of the fair’ what more could you want!

What do you think of this injury? Let us know if you think Coney Beach Porthcawl responded correctly.