Riders of 'Tower of Power' say they feared something was wrong

[RamboLiberal]

Source: WAVE Channel 3

People who were aboard the Superman Tower of Power ride when it malfunctioned last week are speaking out about their experience. A cable apparently snapped on that ride on June 21st, resulting in the severing of a 13-year-old girl's feet. As WAVE 3 Investigator Janelle MacDonald reports, riders say they knew something was wrong on the way up and yelled for the operator to stop the ride, but park officials say that's not true.

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A parent of one of the girls in that row told us that, as the cars were climbing to the top, the girls saw the cable waving, and yelled for the ride to stop.

Connor says he heard their screams.

"We were going halfway up and I heard a snap, a cracking noise. Then we heard the girls yell 'Stop!' All of them, to the very top."

Then Connor says "We came down, and we heard crying and yelling, and we didn't know what was going on."



Read more: http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=6710989

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More on the story.

Maimed Girl's Family Contradicts Six Flags

Six Flags is contending that they contacted the family of a girl who lost both feet at their Kentucky Kingdom amusement park last Thursday – contradicting the family’s first public statement following the accident, issued Tuesday.

“Two representatives from Kentucky Kingdom traveled to the hospital immediately following the accident and were there for some time before the family requested that they leave,” Six Flags spokeswoman Carolyn McLean said “We are deeply saddened by this incident and of course have genuine concern for the well-being of the entire family. We stand ready to be of any assistance we possibly can.”

According to the family's statement, released from Vanderbilt University Medical Center:

"Kaitlyn's parents would like to state for the record that despite claims in the media by representatives from Kentucky Kingdom Theme Park, at no time has any representative of the theme park been in touch with members of the family."

The statement identifies the teenager as Kaitlyn Lasitter, who it reported is in stable condition. The statement also thanks the public for support, and asks the media to respect the family's privacy.

http://www.wlky.com/news/13547817/detail.html

[whistle]

1. No elevator inspection regulations for theme park rides it appears

[sneakythomas]

3. Cable inspections are so really easy

At least the first step. You put on a really heavy leather glove and let the cable run through your hand at slow speed. When a broken wire goes through you can feel it snag. Seasoned elevator inspectors can do this a lot fast than you'd think. It shouldn't take much to train some one at the park to do this.

I've been in property management for a long time, one of my vendors told me this is how they do it.

[Tesha]

11. This is also done electronically.

Run the cable through a metal ring that is only slightly
larger than the cable itself. If an outer strand in the
cable breaks (and it's the outer strands, the ones most
subject to wear that eventually do break), it will
eventually protrude and strike the metal ring, triggering
an alarm.

That's how the San Francisco cable cars do it for their
tow ropes.

Tesha

[LostinVA]

13. Interesting

[TheMadMonk]

5. Shit happens. It happens so rarely on rides that it turns into discussions...

...like this on the rare occasions that it does. Children are in far more danger from bicycles, roller blades, skateboards, and your driving.



Wait for the engineers report. Yes it could have been, (quite probably was) human error. The same human error prangs cars, brings down helicopters, and crashes trains.

So we figure out as best we can exactly what happened and establish procedures to prevent a repeat. Same as all industries, and a hell of a lot more stringently adhered to in the carnival industry than a lot of others. Take commercial aviation where the dollar cost of remediation is coldly compared to the predicted price in lives.

[LisaL]

2. Even if somebody did yell, the operator might have not heard it,

or didn't understand what it was. People probably scream a lot going on these rides.

[bettyellen]

4. the ride operators would know that and so not be in a position to call them liars

but they chose to call them liars. just a CYA move, then... i suppose since they didn't settle quick and quiet.

[maseman]

6. How many people...

Ride these types of rides everyday throughout the US an never get hurt? OK, I am for inspections, regular maintainance, etc. but come on folks. We are using machines to blast us in the air, throw us to the ground, spin us around, make zero gravity or increase g-forces. Something will happen every now and then.

I am a pyrotechnician who puts on firework shows. I am extremely careful and safety cautious. Every now and then a firework shell make break low and if the wind is right some pices can go into a crowd. It wouldn't be a serious injury but a person could get mildly burnt...at a FIREWORKS show. There is some risk in everything we do.

[Xithras]

7. Good point.

I've ridden the Drop Zone at Great America in Santa Clara, and it's pretty normal to hear people screaming for fun, and even some begging to get off. Some people hop on the ride and then freak out once it starts climbing.

It's not only possible that the operator heard them and misunderstood, it's pretty damned likely.

[Bonobo]

8. I can take about an hour on the tower of power, long as I gets a little golden shower!

[Cronus Protagonist]

9. My name is Bobby Brown

I wonder how many people know that reference :P

[Bonobo]

10. Not many, pal, not many. Good on you.

[B3Nut]

12. Watch me now...I'm going down!

:D

I miss Frank.

Todd in Cheesecurdistan

[zappaman]

17. reference?

well, they do say I'm the cutest boy in town.

[Cronus Protagonist]

18. Got a job doing radio promo?

...and nobody knows...

[Javaman]

14. "We stand ready to be of any assistance we possibly can."

"Until our lawyers tell us otherwise."

[HuffleClaw]

15. seems to me such 'pleas' would be common

considering it is a scary ride.

[Roland99]

16. I've tried to get my daughter to ride that the last couple times I was there

No way she will now!!