Posted on 08/08/2016 11:19:01 AM PDT by Wolfie
I’m not sure I could make it up the 264 steps any more.
Never mind age. How rigid is the HEART exam given before letting anyone, of any age, walk up those stairs? Who would pay to walk up the stairwells of a building that tall?
You see that net that covers the ride...it wasn’t originally there. However, during initial test runs, with sandbag ‘dummies’, the rafts were becoming airborne when they crested the smaller hill near the end of the ride.
So, the owner set weight restrictions (and scales at the ride) that each 3 person raft must carry between 400 and 550 lbs.
Oh, and they added the safety netting, in case a raft flew off.
Well now it seems like the safety netting was not a great idea, or at least it wasn’t executed well.
A local news station got a helicopter in the air, and took video which shows a damaged net support...right at the spot where the rafts were flying off during testing(1:04 mark in video):
http://www.kmbc.com/news/person-dies-at-schlitterbahn/41091622
Either the boy launched out of the raft, or the entire raft lifted up...but it looks like his head hit the net support bar. First hand accounts talk about lots of blood (and earlier there was a photo of blood in the slide that has since been taken down) and rumors of decapitation.
I would be shocked if this ride ever operated again, without major changes, so don’t pack your bags yet.
No, there has been terrible reporting on this. The ride used to list an age requirement. However, that was changed, and until the web site was taken down yesterday, the only restriction has been height (54”). And, the riders had to total to a weight between 400-550 lbs.
The boy was originally reported as 12 years old, but a family spokesman has stated that he was 10 years old.
Clever play on words but the real name of it was "Class-Action Park".
The kid might have been less than 54 inches and he is a politician’s son! If the kid was too small for the ride and his dad let him on then it looks bad for the politician...it also looks bad for the water park! That’s why the info is being held back. What is the party of the politician?
I’m a real slim guy, 120lbs and when I used to go on rides designed in the last couple of decades, the restraint bars don’t do much for me. I have to hang on otherwise, I’d fly right out. Never used to be a problem when I was a kid at the fair 40 years ago.
The new rides are designed for the new fat generations. I’ve always been pretty wiry in that I can hold my own weight like that but if I had been someone who wasn’t active, I might not have.
Looking at the article; the owner and a “lead designer” designed the thing. Seems like “lead engineer” might be a better title if he’s actually an engineer. Seems like there should have been a team of engineers or professional ride design firm involved. Opening of the ride was postponed because the sandbags were flying up in the air over the humps and that’s exactly how this kid died.
They basically made a hybrid ride, between a coaster and water slide.
Sad and probably avoidable.
Yes, you’re right, and if the boy were dramatically killed in that manner, the word would be out by others in the park and on the ride.
With so little official information and no indictment of equipment failure, by other park customers, and those who were on the ride is what makes possible a question for the boy’s health, that might have been unknown.
It happens in sports. Certain stresses can be deadly and unknown.
?The father is GOP.
Egad, what’s at the other end of that thing, a damp sponge?
Sad news, though. I’m sure my parents would have been devastated if something had happened to me on the rollercoasters at Cedar Point back in the day.
First had reports...and a now removed photo on a local news website...indicate lots of blood. My post 43 has a link to a video which shows the damaged net support, which the boy likely hit with his head.
I think you might have a good idea there.
Yes, they apparently snuck him in below age and height requirements. Fault likely all around on this.
I wouldn’t let my kid of any age on that ride.
Thanks for the information. Hard enough to lose a child much less being culpable in some way. The Phila media really botched up the information on the incident.
Years ago I was playing the PC game “Rollercoaster Tycoon.” I designed a water slide that looked a lot like this one. In test mode it worked fine. The first paying customers were killed when the tube flew off on the first hill. I guess the game didn’t figure in the weight of the passengers in test mode. The added passenger weight must have changed the physics. Whoever designed this thing should have played Rollercoaster Tycoon first.
I recall my dad riding on Space Mountain. To that point in time he had no idea he had a heart problem. After the ride he knew.
A lot of more complicated roller coasters will generally have a max weight limit of 250.
I’ve seen some really tall 10 years and really short 15 year olds so I agree that it’s hard to base height on someone’s age.
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