15 Visits To Theme Parks That Ended Tragically
We know that there’s an unwritten rule in society not to bring up theme park tragedies, but we heard about some recent deaths at Disney World and felt a little rebellious. No one wants to associate the most fun places on Earth with death and tragedy.
But in these 15 cases, that's exactly what we're going to do.
Five people have died at Disney World in less than a month
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The cause of person's death on November 8th hasn’t been disclosed, but it comes only weeks after two suicides – a woman on Oct. 14 and a man on Oct. 23, both at the Contemporary Resort. On Oct. 21st, a man in his 60s suffered a medical episode at the Fort Wilderness Resort, while another death of a woman in her 60s occurred after a medical emergency at Disney’s Pop Century Resort on Nov. 2nd.
A fire at a Six Flags killed 8 teenagers
Wikimedia Commons
On May 11, 1984, eight teenagers tragically lost their lives in a devastating fire at Six Flags Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. The fire occurred in the ‘Haunted Castle,’ trapping the teens who died from smoke inhalation.
‘The Fire Ball Ride’ killed a teen and injured several others
At the Ohio State Fair on July 26, 2017, undected excessive corrosion on a main support beam led to a catastrophic failure under the high-stress load. Tyler Jarrell was killed, and other survivors were left with life-altering physical and psychological injuries.
A life lost on The Whizzer
The ‘Great America’ Archives
On March 29, 1980, at Marriott's Great America in California, a 13-year-old boy riding Willard’s Whizzer was killed when two trains collided. 8 other passengers sustained serious injuries. The accident was caused by a malfunction in the ride’s brake system, which went undetected by park staff during inspection.
Train derailment at Disneyland
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In 2003, 33-year-old Marcelo Torres died and ten other passengers were taken to nearby hospitals after a broken axle on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad caused a derailment. It was determined that the accident happened due to wear and tear from years of use.
A deadly fall at Knotts Berry Farm
On September 23, 2001, 40 year-old Lori Mason-Larez tragically passed away after falling from the ‘Ghost Rider’ at Knotts Berry Farm Amusement Park in Buena Park, California. An investigation revealed that the ride had inadequate safety restraints.
“Human error” at Silver Dollar City
Theme Park Review
On July 9, 1980, at Silver Dollar City in Missouri, 23 year-old James Frederick Polley was on the train ride ‘Fire in the Hole’, which was mistakenly thought to be empty. The train was switched from the main tracks onto a maintenance track and he fatally smashed his head on a door. The accident was ruled a case of human error and the ride re-opened two days later.
Grandmother killed at Six Flags New Orleans
Theme Park Review
52 year-old Rosa Donaldson from New Orleans took her grandson to Six Flags New Orleans on July 10, 2003. She entered a restricted area to ensure that her grandson was properly fastened to ‘The Joker’s Jukebox’ ride, and was killed by a spinning car.
The faulty bolt at Krug Park in Omaha
Nebraska historical Archives
On July 24, 1930, a faulty bolt caused a car to come off the ‘Big Dipper’ rollercoaster track. Four people were killed and 17 others were seriously injured. The Omaha City Council banned all roller coasters within the city for the next two decades.
The “Children’s Day” accident in Japan
Wikimedia Commons
On May 5, 2007, the ‘Fujin Raijin II’, a 6-car standing roller coaster, derailed at Expoland in Suita, Osaka, Japan. The “Children’s Day” accident claimed the life of 19 year-old Yoshino Kogawara, and injured 21 other passengers. One of the axles cracked on the train, and it was discovered that none had been replaced over 15 years.
Tragedy on the world’s largest indoor roller coaster
West Edmonton Mall
On June 14, 1986, in the West Edmonton Mall in Canada, three people were killed when ‘The Mindbender’ derailed. Tony Mandrusiak, 24, and his fiancé Cindy Sims, 21 were violently killed in the crash and David Sager, 24, fell to his death after his car stalled upside-down. The ride stayed in use until January 30, 2023.
Six people were killed on ‘Space Journey’ in China
Overseas Chinese Town East
Overseas Chinese Town East is a popular amusement park in Shenzhen, China. On June 29, 2010, a cabin on one of their main attractions, ‘Space Journey,’ came loose and collided with the other cabins, killing six people and seriously injuring 10 others. Surprisingly, the ride had passed its maintenance inspection just eight days before the accident.
Deadly malfunction at London’s Battersea Park Fun Fair
Battersea Park Fun Fair Memorial
In May of 1972, the ‘Big Dipper’ roller coaster was being pulled to the top of the launch hill when the lift chain detached from one the trains and the anti-rollback mechanism malfunctioned. The train came hurtling back down the hill and smashed into another train, killing 5 children and seriously injuring 13 others. The roller coaster was never reopened and the Battersea Fun Fair closed two years later.
Disaster at Dreamworld
In October, 2016, 4 people died on the ‘Thunder River Rapids’ ride at Dreamworld on Queensland's Gold Coast. An unoccupied raft became stuck at the bottom of the conveyor belt in the boarding area when a raft of six visitors fatally crashed into it. Thankfully, the two children onboard survived.
Two deadly incidents on the same day
Ohio’s Kings Island amusement park suffered a triple tragedy in June of 1991. After a man fell into a pond near the beer garden, two staff members went to rescue him, and an electric current killed them both instantly. Meanwhile, on the other side of the park, a woman fell 60 feet to her death after a harness and safety bar on the ‘Flight Commander’ failed.
