Woman dies on Six Flags Roller Coaster

[dakcp2001]

Wow.

I was not being discriminatory, I was wondering about. Legitimate safety issue. If the size of the passenger makes the restraint not work, out old fall out and die. That's far more important than hurt feelings.

 

[pigletgirl]

I was not being discriminatory, I was wondering about. Legitimate safety issue. If the size of the passenger makes the restraint not work, out old fall out and die. That's far more important than hurt feelings.

No, no. Never meant to be discriminatory. If a guest doesn't fit, it's the ride operator's judgement to decide if they can proceed with the ride or not. Yes, it's probably very humiliating, but you do what has got to be done.

 

[okeydokey]

I was not being discriminatory, I was wondering about. Legitimate safety issue. If the size of the passenger makes the restraint not work, out old fall out and die. That's far more important than hurt feelings.

I agree. We just returned from Dollywood and were held up several times over two days as big people struggled to get secured. The ride attendants did everything they could to help, resetting the restraints over and over, having them switch seats with someone else, resetting again. Most times they finally got the restraints secured, but there was one ride where the guy had to get off and leave.

Too big is just too big. If you are not able to ride safely, then don't ride. There are tester seats outside of most rides so you can try before getting in line.

 

[zboos]

A few of you mentioned PW. Which ride is that? Sounds a bit too rough for me and I want to be aware before getting on. I rode a very rough wooden coaster at Fiesta Texas as a kid and had whiplash. I definitely don't want to get that at Disney. Thanks

 

[ChrisFL]

Here is a re-enactment video from a similar incident on a different rollercoaster. (it's not actual footage of anything)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=i0KmTMf0VVQ

The theory seems to be accurate for this incident as well from what we know so far.

So the lap bar didn't fail per se, but the angle that it came down at was not ideal and I think if anything changes, the angle of the lap bars will be made tighter and be more restrictive to guests of certain body types.

 

[SandrA9810]

A few of you mentioned PW. Which ride is that? Sounds a bit too rough for me and I want to be aware before getting on. I rode a very rough wooden coaster at Fiesta Texas as a kid and had whiplash. I definitely don't want to get that at Disney. Thanks

Primeval Whirl at Animal Kingdom. I've only gone on it once, and didn't like it either. It's a half round car that's free to spin with the gravity of track. The track is fairly simple, just a back and forth mostly with a few hill.

 

[Planogirl]

No, no. Never meant to be discriminatory. If a guest doesn't fit, it's the ride operator's judgement to decide if they can proceed with the ride or not. Yes, it's probably very humiliating, but you do what has got to be done.

Exactly. Not all rides are designed for all body types.

 

[DizBelle]

Here is a re-enactment video from a similar incident on a different rollercoaster. (it's not actual footage of anything)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=i0KmTMf0VVQ

The theory seems to be accurate for this incident as well from what we know so far.

So the lap bar didn't fail per se, but the angle that it came down at was not ideal and I think if anything changes, the angle of the lap bars will be made tighter and be more restrictive to guests of certain body types.

This video shows exactly what I said several posts back of what I could easily envision had happened.

 

[Shutterbug]

This video shows exactly what I said several posts back of what I could easily envision had happened.

From that video, the bar stays in place but because it couldnt move back far enough it couldnt hold the person in the seat?

 

[TheAviator]

I've always wondered why all coasters don't have the restraints that come down over you like the Hulk coaster. The lap bars just don't ever look safe to me and I just wonder wow how do people not fall out of these. Many coasters have the full restraint but if I were building them I would put them on all of them. I don't get that.

 

[DizBelle]

From that video, the bar stays in place but because it couldnt move back far enough it couldnt hold the person in the seat?

Exactly.

 

[ckay87]

I've always wondered why all coasters don't have the restraints that come down over you like the Hulk coaster. The lap bars just don't ever look safe to me and I just wonder wow how do people not fall out of these. Many coasters have the full restraint but if I were building them I would put them on all of them. I don't get that.

The popular opinion among coaster enthusiasts is the less restraint the better. Despite this tragedy, I agree. I'm a hands-up-negative-G kind of coaster rider. That won't change for me either. This incident... someone actually falling out of a coaster while obeying all rules.... never, ever happens. It really won't happen to me, I'm still not afraid.

I am so incredibly saddened for the family, though. This is literally the most unthinkable, impossible tragedy, and it happened to them.

 

[kimmyann]

The coaster doesn't even go upside down. A lap bar is pretty standard on a coaster like that. Even Busch Gardens has similar lap restraints. The Scorpion coaster has a single little lap bar and it goes upside down.

The wooden coaster has a single lap bar as well.

http://www.**************.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Gwazi4.jpg


The only difference I can see is most the coasters have an L bar that comes from the side rather than a T bar that goes between the legs. Maybe she didn't have the room to allow the bar to come fully down. I haven't seen her picture or seen her child that was sitting next to her.

Our Busch Gardens here in VA has a lap bar coaster (Apollo's Chariot) & it has a 205 ft drop. It isn't just the old style bar, but a newer type with a similar design. The lap bar is designed for this type of coaster to give more of a free & no gravity type of effect. Very common.

Florida requires state inspections for temporary or permanent amusement rides.

http://www.800helpfla.com/FR/guidelines.html

Here in VA they require state inspections also, twice a year. Glad to see Florida does too.

 

[skylizard]

I've always wondered why all coasters don't have the restraints that come down over you like the Hulk coaster. The lap bars just don't ever look safe to me and I just wonder wow how do people not fall out of these. Many coasters have the full restraint but if I were building them I would put them on all of them. I don't get that.

I agree. Safety first. Just having a little lap bar wouldn't make me feel very safe.

 

[TheAviator]

Just thought, simple seat belts like they have in cars would solve this problem once and for all, I realize some coasters have belts, but that seems like an easy fix no brainer. A seat belt that comes across your shoulder and lap would probably do the trick with little intereference in someones ride

 

[FireDancer]

Just thought, simple seat belts like they have in cars would solve this problem once and for all, I realize some coasters have belts, but that seems like an easy fix no brainer. A seat belt that comes across your shoulder and lap would probably do the trick with little intereference in someones ride

I believe Millennium Force at Cedar Point has a single bar just like the rollercoaster in this story but it is supplemented with a lap belt. I would think adding a secondary restraint would be much easier then redesigning the primary restraint. It also helps in situations where multiple riders have a single bar that they share. If a small child is next to an obese adult having just a shared bar is almost having nothing at all.

 

[DizBelle]

I believe Millennium Force at Cedar Point has a single bar just like the rollercoaster in this story but it is supplemented with a lap belt. I would think adding a secondary restraint would be much easier then redesigning the primary restraint. It also helps in situations where multiple riders have a single bar that they share. If a small child is next to an obese adult having just a shared bar is almost having nothing at all.

I used to get some serious air time when I was seated next to some larger folks on TOT back when it was a single lap bar across the 3 or 4 people in the row.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I feel so bad for the woman and her family. The day this happened, my youngest (10) was on vacation with his best friend and they were going to Kings Island. I have anxiety, anyway, and I was a nervous wreck! Especially when he called me at lunch time and told me he went on the Diamondback!

I'm thankful I wasn't there because I may have stopped him (even inadvertently) from riding the big rides he'd worked up enough courage to ride.

 

[bcla]

I agree. Safety first. Just having a little lap bar wouldn't make me feel very safe.

Many roller coasters use the forces in the ride to keep riders glued to their seats, with the exception of bunny hills at the end, which aren't likely to throw people off a ride even if there were no restraints.

However, this ride had one heck of a dip, where the restraint is key to staying in the car. Some rides with sudden turns rely on a shoulder harness to prevent riders from sliding sideways.

The most safe thing would probably be a five point harness, but those have to be adjusted for size and shoulder height. Anyone who has dealt with a modern child seat knows they have to be adjusted. A race car like five point harness is even more difficult to deal with.

Now these are some hanging roller coasters with an over the shoulder harness and crotch belt (buckles into the bottom of the shoulder harness) combination that sort of mimic a five point harness.

 

[SandrA9810]

Sea World's Manta coaster has one of the best and most comfortable harness there is. But it probably doesn't allow for as many body types as other over the shoulder harnesses. I'd love to ride more coasters like the Manta.

Busch Gardens has retrofitted a few of the coasters to have larger harnesses and those rows are specifically marked. I think they set the harness a little higher and come out a few inches further. It doesn't impact an average sized rider, but gives a little more room for those that have a broader chest.

As for retrofitting all coasters to have five point harnesses is completely over the top. Fit into the seat properly and use the safety restraints as they were designed to be use, and you'll be just fine. If you're a larger person and the restraints don't feel right, then get off. They probably weren't designed for some one your size.

The woman could have very well wanted to get off but the son talked her into staying on the ride, that she'd be fine. The family hasn't made a statement, and it's likely we will never know what happened on the loading platform. Since it was her first visit, it doesn't seem likely she was a rollercoaster junkie and would want to ride it without some influence to get on it. Ever since I was a kid, my mom let me ride coasters by myself. No way in h-e-double hockey sticks was I ever going to convince her to go on a coaster.