Credit: OakwoodSeveral riders have been left injured following an incident at a popular theme park (which has already experienced several headline-making incidents in the past).
As we’ve stressed multiple times in the past, the odds of being hurt at a theme park are extremely slim. According to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, the chances of receiving a serious injury on a fixed-site attraction in the United States (AKA not a funfair attraction that travels the country) are 1 in 15.5 million.
Related: Theme Park Incident Leaves Guests Fearing for Their Lives, “Luckily I Didn’t Get On!”
Like we said, it’s rare.
But that doesn’t make it impossible. In recent years, we’ve reported on incidents at theme parks both in the U.S. and beyond. In June, a man sadly passed away after being struck by the Banshee roller coaster at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. Last year, a roller coaster derailed at the Swedish theme park Grona Lund, throwing several guests from the vehicle and killing one.
Meanwhile, in August 2023, a six-year-old boy fell from Galaxy Spin, a “Wild Mouse”-style roller coaster inside the Central Florida theme park Fun Spot America. The boy reportedly stood up during the ride and, according to FOX35, “either fell out of the ride vehicle” or was thrown off the roller coaster.
Galaxy Spin was later cleared to reopen, but the state of Florida insisted that it introduce additional safety signage in and around the ride, as well as a chaperone policy for rides under 10 years old.
Injuries have also occurred in incidents at theme parks such as Family Fun Kingdom, Universal Orlando Resort, PortAventura World, and American Dream’s Nickelodeon Universe, all with varying degrees of severity.
This week, another sudden emergency at a popular theme park attraction injured several guests.
Related: Roller Coaster Returns, One Year After Horror Theme Park Accident Left Woman With Brain Damage
Guests were visiting Oakwood earlier this week (July 10) when several were injured following an incident on a ride named Bounce at the popular Welsh theme park.
The drop tower reportedly came to a sudden halt mid-ride, leaving some of its riders with “minor lower back pain” that required attention from an onsite first aid team, while four guests attended the hospital for further treatment.
A guest aboard the ride told WalesOnline it “fell to the floor without slowing down” and that multiple young children were “screaming and crying” as Bounce “went up and down a few times” before it “fell quickly to the ground from about halfway up the tower.”
Related: Disney World Update – 8 Guests Hospitalized After Theme Park Incidents
According to an update from the Pembrokeshire theme park – which is the biggest theme park in Wales – Bounce “experienced a programmed emergency stop procedure” while making its descent (via BBC). The ride has now been closed for an investigation.
Oakwood Theme Park’s full statement on the incident reads as follows:
During operation today our drop tower ride Bounce experienced a programmed emergency stop procedure in response to the ride drop height. The stoppage of the passenger gondola was attended to by our park team and the ride was lowered to the ground where guests were able to disembark.
A number of guests reported minor lower back pain immediately after the occurrence and were attended to by our onsite team of first aiders, where assistance was provided. One group sought additional treatment locally, whilst others continued their day at the park. We have closed Bounce whilst we consult with the ride manufacturer.
Another notice has since been uploaded to Oakwood’s website, adding that “the travel of the Bounce passenger gondola is regulated by several factors” and that “unlike some other similar rides, Bounce is not a ‘free fall tower.’” It also insisted that “large shock absorbers installed on the ride provide a cushion at the highest and lowest sections of travel. Rubber bumpers below the passenger gondola provide a definitive stop point.”
Related: Outrageous Demands Threaten Cedar Point After Amusement Park Crisis, Permanent Closure Expected
Bounce is described as “a gravity-defying, stomach-lurching shot ‘n’ drop tower ride.” It hasn’t had the smoothest operational history, having been closed in 2016. While it was originally supposed to reopen in 2019 after a £400,000 refurbishment, this reopening was later delayed until 2022.
Beyond Bounce, Oakwood has experienced multiple dramatic incidents over the years. In October 2022, a man was hospitalized after falling off its Treetops Rollercoaster. While the ride (and the entire park) was temporarily closed, investigators found no fault with the ride equipment, and the park didn’t face legal action.
Going back even further, a 16-year-old guest died at the theme park in another incident that saw her fall 100ft (30.48m) from Oakwood’s Hydro Ride in April 2004. It was later found that her lap bar was in an “open and unsafe position” and that the ride’s operators had not checked it properly before the ride began.
Do you think theme parks do enough to ensure the safety of their guests?