Intamin - Safety Incidents

Safety Incidents

Intamin has been in the news for a number of safety-related accidents or incidents.

• In 1984, three passengers riding The Edge at Six Flags Great America were injured and hospitalized. The boys were soon after released. The ride had experienced a software malfunction that caused the ride to fall backwards down the wrong shaft.
• On May 16, 1999, a 365 lb (166 kg) guest was unable to close his lap bar properly and was ejected and fell approximately 9 feet from the Ride of Steel roller coaster at Six Flags Darien Lake as the ride went over a "camel hump" hill, suffering serious injuries. He sued the park and the ride manufacturer for negligence, and was awarded US$3.95 million.
• In August 1999, a 12-year-old boy who was mentally disabled fell from the Drop Tower: Scream Zone ride at Paramount's Great America and died. The victim's family claimed the harness was not locked properly. An investigation was inconclusive and no charges were filed.
• In September 2001, a 40-year-old woman fell out of the Perilous Plunge attraction at Knott's Berry Farm, into the water, was hit by the boat, and died. An investigation showed that the 300 lb (140 kg) woman had loosened the safety restraints, so that she could fit more comfortably inside the ride.
• On April 16, 2004, a 16-year-old girl from Pontypool was killed after falling approximately 30 m (100 ft) from the top of the Hydro (now called Drenched) ride at Oakwood Leisure Park, Narberth, Pembrokeshire. During a trial brought by the victim's family against Oakwood, a jury returned a narrative verdict stating that the victim died due to not being properly restrained.
• The second incident of 2004 was on one of Intamin's mega coasters, Superman: Ride of Steel at Six Flags New England in Massachusetts. The ride, again with lap bar restraints, was dispatched with a sufferer of cerebral palsy in the front seat. According to an investigation, the ride operators were primarily to blame for not ensuring the man was properly secured. Intamin was also partially blamed because the ride's safety system allowed the train to be dispatched without all the restraints properly secured.
• In June 2007, a 13-year-old girl had both of her feet severed at the ankles on Superman: Tower of Power at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. A ride malfunction caused a cable to snap and a cord to wrap around the girl's feet, amputating both of them. She was brought to the hospital in critical condition and the park was later fined $1,000 for not properly maintaining the ride.
• On September 16, 2009, two guests were injured when a cable snapped on the Xcelerator roller coaster at Knott's Berry Farm. The 12-year-old victim had lacerations on his leg, while the adult victim complained of back injuries.
• On July 8, 2011, a 29-year-old guest was killed when he was ejected from the Ride of Steel roller coaster. The rider, an Iraq War veteran whose legs had been amputated, was on the front row of the roller coaster when he was thrown from the train during the course of the ride. Park officials stated that the ride was in proper mechanical order and that the various safety restraints were also working normally at the time of the incident, but that the attraction would remain closed pending an investigation.
• On February 24, 2012, a 14-year-old girl died in an accident at Hopi Hari, Vinhedo, São Paulo State, Brazil. She fell from the drop tower ride "La Tour Eiffel" suffering cranial trauma and died on the way to the hospital. Local police are investigating the accident, initial investigations suggest the possibility of mechanical failure in the restraint latch.
• On July 24, 2012, a launch cable snapped on the launch coaster Rita, at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, UK. No one was hurt on or off the ride. Since then, the launch area has been sealed off to all guests, whereas before guests were able to walk underneath the launch to get access to the entrance of Th13teen, another one of Intamin's rides.