Woman dies on Six Flags Roller Coaster

[Schmoodle]

I don't think anyone could say at this point that the woman's size wasn't a factor. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. The investigation would have to ferret that out.

I can envision that the lap bar could only be lowered such that the bar was just above her knees instead of farther up her lap towards her waist and then in the extreme ride conditions it just wasn't enough to keep her in her seat. The restraint may not have failed but may have just been insufficient.

I did read a report that a witness said that the restraint was in its lowered position when the train returned to the load area. But that is just a witness statement at this point.

It could be that the restraint coupled with this woman's size and proportions led to this tragic accident. Again, we'll have to wait for the investigation.

That's entirely possible, and I wasn't saying that her size couldn't have been a factor, so we agree. But at this point, nobody knows that, and even if the investigation shows that it was, it may be suspect as the manufacturer and Six Flags have a lot to gain by blaming her. Also, if weight was a factor, then the limits should be posted and the operators should be trained so that they will not let people ride who are above the safety factor. I'm sure her family would much rather she have been embarassed than now be dead, if that was the situation.

In any case, it is all speculation. But what struck me was how cruel people were and premature with their assumptions. Not here on the DIS, this thread is very civilized so far. And I now realize that I opened that door here with my comment, so I hope this thread won't go that way. I just feel very badly that her family may see some of that terrible stuff I read. It really bothered me. She wasn't doing anything wrong, just enjoying a day at the amusement park with her family. And now her picture is all over the place and people feel entitled to make nasty personal comments (not directed at you of course, dizbelle). Ah, the internet.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

I feel very sorry for her, her family and friends, and anyone who saw or heard anything. I just watched a ride through and it seems like the ride designers relied on physics holding in the passengers as much as the lap restraint. I generally trust that ride engineers are smarter than me and know what will hold me in the seat and what is safe. But I'll be honest, this event has really shaken my confidence. I know this is an isolated event and I'm trying to keep an open mind and not make any judgments until more facts come out and an investigation is done. But this will always be in the back of my mind, which stinks because I love the feeling of the wind in my face on roller coasters.

 

[Bayoumama]

I found a picture of the ride vehicle. Sorry the image is big.

seems like for a ride so dangerous they should have made an overhead restraint instead of just a lap bar or at least the kind of lap bar that has the iron/steel on each side of your legs bolted to the floor of the ride holding you in a bit more....if i remember correctly the picture of the ride you were almost completely sideways at one point (not sure if that is point of where she fell).

As far as them investigating their own ride.....what kind of cr*p is that????!!!?

 

[TheAviator]

Judging by her size and the tiny seats that average sized people are even uncomfortable in, just a guess but I am guessing the bar would not lock at all, and she just didn't fit. That is the reason universal had a size requirement on some rides. So it looks like it may have been prevented with a size requirement.

 

[NotUrsula]

AFAICT, that restraint is very similar to the one on WDW Space Mtn. I can testify that if you are heavy-set, it can be difficult to get a bar like that into the right position to keep you in your seat. On Sp Mtn it isn't that bad, because the seats are so low that your knees are up, but I can see how in a more upright position it might be problematic to get it latched higher against your abdomen.

As far as having the company do the inspection, that is determined by state law, so presumably, Texas allows it. Florida does as well. I'm sure that this incident is likely to trigger a lawsuit, so it is in Six Flags best interest to investigate thoroughly. If they are going to avoid liability they will have to prove a mfr. defect, and that would be quite difficult to fake.

Rides are mechanical, and all mechanical devices can fail, so it is possible that this isn't about the ride operators. It could be operator error, or it could be a mfr. defect, or it could be an equipment failure due to improper maintenance. I prefer not to rush to judgment just yet.

As to the restraint being down when the ride stopped; it is possible unless it had a working upright lock, and that's doubtful. Most coasters' interior manual harness ratchets only work one-way, down, so G-force would probably have caused the bar to fall back down and latch once the seat was empty.

 

[luvsJack]

After looking at pictures of the coaster, that doesn't seem like much restraint.

 

[SandrA9810]

I'm sure her family would much rather she have been embarassed than now be dead, if that was the situation.

That's what gets people injured though. They go to the amusement park and think that the rules do not apply to them. Every one wants an exception to the rule and they're in this fairy tale land that nothing bad can happen to them when they're out making wonderful family memories.

ETA: I'm not saying that this was the case in this accident. But it's not uncommon to hear something like that at the theme parks.

I remember going to the county fair in Miami with a guy who was rather large built. Broad shoulders and just over 6ft. Most rides, the restraints were not a problem, but one ride the restraints came over the shoulder and seemed to be positioned lower than some of the others. If he slouched down, his gut was too big, if he sat up straight, his shoulders were too high. He walked off and I rode without him. It was an awkward moment at 18 but there wasn't much to be done about the situation, he was just too big to ride.

No one wants to admit they are too big to ride a ride.

 

[SandrA9810]

After looking at pictures of the coaster, that doesn't seem like much restraint.

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.

 

[DizBelle]

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.

Her child is a 20-something year old man.

 

[SandrA9810]

All I heard was child/son, never heard an age. At 20 years old, it was probably a very tight fit in those little seats.

But overall, the lap restraint wasn't anything less than other similar coasters in operation across the US.

 

[dakcp2001]

I am not trying to be rude, but was she a larger woman? I am wondering if that had something to do with the restraint?

 

[Shutterbug]

Just heard on the news that since no foul play was involved, no federal or state govt agencies will be investigating.

 

[Planogirl]

I am not trying to be rude, but was she a larger woman? I am wondering if that had something to do with the restraint?

I saw a picture of her on the local news and she appeared to be very large. I wonder if the ride attendant should have let her ride?

 

[pigletgirl]

I saw a picture of her on the local news and she appeared to be very large. I wonder if the ride attendant should have let her ride?

Wow.

 

[bcla]

I saw a picture of her on the local news and she appeared to be very large. I wonder if the ride attendant should have let her ride?

Morbidly obese would be a pretty good description. I'm guessing about 5'3" 275 lbs. Here's a photo of her published by the Dallas Morning News:

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/metr...ter-was-visiting-six-flags-for-first-time.ece

Some of the speculation is that her legs aren't that big, but she couldn't bring down the restraint past her stomach and fell out with a little shaking. Her body type is really heavyset above the hips.

 

[bcla]

I always feel safe at Disney but accidents or slack employees can happen anywhere, unfortunately. Best to always be very insistent. If it had been me on the ride with my son instead of his father, we never would have left the station like that. People really have to look out for themselves. Sad, though. I think people just get so complacent, employees and the visitors alike, and feel safe and think nothing bad will happen.

Some things just happen on an off chance or something overlooked.

I remember riding Big Thunder at Disneyland back in 2003 on a visit to see family. My cousin's husband (a doctor) pointed out what looked like an add on to the ride. They added these little side panels. Previously the "mine car" openings were open to the floor of the car.

My cousin's husband was a medical resident at UC Irvine Medical Center at the time of the incident, which is a less than 4 miles from DL in Orange. He told me what happened with that incident. The kid riding prematurely stuck his foot out as the ride was returning to the boarding/exit area, and his foot got trapped between the car and the platform. The medical term for what happened is "degloving".

What was really odd was that after he told us that, we got on and the ride stopped on the first incline. We got passes to return to the ride at any time without waiting in line and rode it that night. Then there was the fatality there the next week.

 

[msjprincess]

Just heard on the news that since no foul play was involved, no federal or state govt agencies will be investigating.

I heard that since it was an accident Six Flags will be in charge of the investigation. That seems strange to me, but what do I know?



http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/201...gs-will-investigate-coaster-death-itself?lite

 

[bcla]

I heard that since it was an accident Six Flags will be in charge of the investigation. That seems strange to me, but what do I know?



http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/201...gs-will-investigate-coaster-death-itself?lite

Texas has no government oversight of amusement park rides. In California, Cal OSHA inspects all amusement park rides on an annual basis. There are signs in front of every ride saying that a copy of each ride's latest report is available for public inspection.

Disneyland closed three rides earlier this year after state inspections. It wasn't about rider safety, but that an employee was injured during maintenance.

Disneyland Resort Voluntarily Closes Some Rides After Cal/OSHA Citations
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013...ly-closes-some-rides-after-calosha-citations/

ANAHEIM (CBSLA.com) — Two major attractions at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim remained shut down on Sunday as part of a voluntary closure by park officials.

Space Mountain, Soarin’ over California, and the Matterhorn were closed by Disneyland officials after the park received seven citations from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA).

The Matterhorn has since reopened.

The citations received Friday involve an incident that occurred on the Space Mountain attraction in November.

 

[SandrA9810]

Wow.

It's comments like that that put a person's life in jeopardy. Is it polite to kick a guest off a ride? Not really, but the employees are doing their jobs when they do. You can't deny that she was a very large woman. And her legs are considerably smaller than her waist, which could have prevented the lap bar coming down to hold her in the way it is designed to.

That's why there are test seats outside of the entrance. People can test the seats before standing in a crowded platform loading area. It was also said that the train came back in with the restraint in place. There's no doubt there is an overwhelming amount of security cameras in the loading area and on the ride itself that they are going through. And we'll probably never see them either.

 

[bcla]

Florida requires state inspections for temporary or permanent amusement rides.

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