Woman dies on Six Flags Roller Coaster

[luvsJack]

I don't think putting something on a coaster that may very well prevent these tragedies but will still allow the fun of riding them is "over the top".

 

[Dancind]

This is the same restraint used for Expedition Everest, isn't it? But I think I remember clicks for that one.

This is horrifying.

 

[SandrA9810]

Everest is more of a U bar, it comes down on the side of the legs rather than T bar that goes between. It does click. Each person is in their own seat vs sharing a whole bench. Space mountain has a T bar, but each person is seated individually. I believe it clicks.

Having the bench seating allowed her to share her son's seating area. If the seats were individual or had a divider, it's possible she wouldn't have fit into the seat. Whether the restraint clicks into place or a pneumatic system that slides to any degree, they both offer the same protection when used properly.

 

[Tekneek]

Given what witnesses are already saying, this looks real bad for Six Flags and will hopefully be a wakeup call to all other operations. When you get too cocky about safety, you end up accepting risks that you shouldn't. Guests are putting their trust in the ride operators and maintainers.

 

[FireDancer]

Given what witnesses are already saying, this looks real bad for Six Flags and will hopefully be a wakeup call to all other operations. When you get too cocky about safety, you end up accepting risks that you shouldn't. Guests are putting their trust in the ride operators and maintainers.

I think amusement parks will get more serious about people who are too big to ride. The operators really need to enforce that rule and not just let it slide to avoid a confrontation or embarrassing someone. The guest really should thank the operators for thinking about their safety but I highly doubt that would be the reaction from most people who are told they are too big to ride safely.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I just can't help but think of how many thousands of obese people (w/ large guts) have ridden these same rides over the years without a problem like this. This lady was pooh sized plus, no doubt, but surely there have been bigger than her; men, especially (meaning taller and wider). Interesting video linked, but maybe this wasn't the problem here?

 

[Shutterbug]

I think amusement parks will get more serious about people who are too big to ride. The operators really need to enforce that rule and not just let it slide to avoid a confrontation or embarrassing someone. The guest really should thank the operators for thinking about their safety but I highly doubt that would be the reaction from most people who are told they are too big to ride safely.

I agree but there will people that will end up suing because they were embarrassed and suffered mental anguish that they werent allowed on a ride because they were too big or that the ride should be designed for larger people to ride.

Though something like that can be avoided by putting sample seat out front that says you must be able to sit in this seat fully and have the lap bar reach such and such a point.

 

[branv]

Yeah, I knew that witness sounded like a load of crud. One family member is pretty much discounting what that supposed "witness" claimed:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/23/us/texas-roller-coaster-death/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

"Esparza's son-in-law and his wife were sitting in front of her at the time. Contrary to witness accounts reported by CNN affiliates, Ronald Segovia told CNN he did not hear his mother-in-law mention that her seat did not lock properly.

Segovia also told CNN that Esparza was sitting by herself, contrary to initial reports she was sitting beside her son. Her sons, according to Segovia, were not there."

 

[TheAviator]

I agree but there will people that will end up suing because they were embarrassed and suffered mental anguish that they werent allowed on a ride because they were too big or that the ride should be designed for larger people to ride.

Though something like that can be avoided by putting sample seat out front that says you must be able to sit in this seat fully and have the lap bar reach such and such a point.

A handful of people may try to sue but they aren't going to win. Not being allowed to ride for size and safety issues does not make a legit lawsuit that would hold up in any court. That would get thrown out and very few attorneys would even take a case like that on, knowing that they are wasting their time.

 

[EMom]

I had a BIL who was 6'5" and 350 pounds. Massive. Huge. He rode coasters. How he fit, I'll never know.

Look, I'm not skinny but I am not huge. I am, however, short. As much as I love coasters, if it was unsafe for my short self to ride one, I'd want a warning.

Once DD reached official height for some rides, I still wouldn't let her ride as she was so slight that I feared her coming out of the restraints. Just slipping through.

We've ridden the Texas Giant before, but until this is cleared up and a reason found, I wouldn't go on it again. It was a great ride, though.

 

[Shutterbug]

I just can't help but think of how many thousands of obese people (w/ large guts) have ridden these same rides over the years without a problem like this. This lady was pooh sized plus, no doubt, but surely there have been bigger than her; men, especially (meaning taller and wider). Interesting video linked, but maybe this wasn't the problem here?

Probably so but maybe in this case everything lined up perfectly, unfortunately, that allowed it to happen in this case.

With 6 flags investigating it themselves hard to know what the outcome will be.

 

[bcla]

I just can't help but think of how many thousands of obese people (w/ large guts) have ridden these same rides over the years without a problem like this. This lady was pooh sized plus, no doubt, but surely there have been bigger than her; men, especially (meaning taller and wider). Interesting video linked, but maybe this wasn't the problem here?

Pure speculation, but some of the guesses were that she couldn't get the bar over her lap where it would clamp on tight because her gut got in the way. They might have just reset everything, let her sit up higher, and then clamp it down properly.

 

[bcla]

I had a BIL who was 6'5" and 350 pounds. Massive. Huge. He rode coasters. How he fit, I'll never know.

Was he proportional though? This woman had a huge torso that tapered to considerably thinner legs. I'm guessing the victim could have been properly restrained in the ride had they allowed her to try again.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Pure speculation, but some of the guesses were that she couldn't get the bar over her lap where it would clamp on tight because her gut got in the way. They might have just reset everything, let her sit up higher, and then clamp it down properly.

Oh I realize that. I'm just saying that I'm wondering why it never happened to people bigger than her who've ridden?

 

[bcla]

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

California too. They've required state inspection of temporary (carnival and fair) amusement rides since 1969 and permanent rides since 2000. Maybe not so strange, but their Southern California office is in Anaheim.

http://www.dir.ca.gov/DOSH/amusementrides.htm

Permanent Amusement Rides (PAR)

In 2000, a new law took effect in California (AB 850), establishing the Permanent Amusement Ride (PAR) Safety Inspection Program. See Labor Code Section 7920 et seq.

Like the TAR Safety Inspection Program, the PAR Safety Inspection Program is administered by the Elevator, Ride, and Tramway Unit. Establishment of this new program represented a significant expansion of the division's jurisdiction. As a result, the Division now is responsible for conducting safety inspections of all amusement rides operated in California.

****

Two amusement ride district offices have been established, one in Southern California (Anaheim) and one in Northern California (Sacramento). The office in Anaheim carries out the responsibilities of the new PAR Program in Southern California. The office in Sacramento carries out the responsibilities of the new PAR Program in Northern California and the TAR Program for the entire state.

 

[maxiesmom]

Everest is more of a U bar, it comes down on the side of the legs rather than T bar that goes between. It does click. Each person is in their own seat vs sharing a whole bench. Space mountain has a T bar, but each person is seated individually. I believe it clicks.

They also stop the train you before you go and have you give it a yank, to make sure you are securely locked in.

 

[PirateSnowmen]

They also stop the train you before you go and have you give it a yank, to make sure you are securely locked in.

The ride attendants check the restraints before you take off on the Texas Giant as well. They come by and pull up on every restraint to make sure it is locked in place. Sometimes they'll even check more than once.

I know that isn't quite the same as pulling up on the restraint yourself, but I know when I ride roller coasters, I always check my own restraint to make sure it's locked.

 

[ChrisFL]

Yeah, I knew that witness sounded like a load of crud. One family member is pretty much discounting what that supposed "witness" claimed:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/23/us/texas-roller-coaster-death/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

"Esparza's son-in-law and his wife were sitting in front of her at the time. Contrary to witness accounts reported by CNN affiliates, Ronald Segovia told CNN he did not hear his mother-in-law mention that her seat did not lock properly.

Segovia also told CNN that Esparza was sitting by herself, contrary to initial reports she was sitting beside her son. Her sons, according to Segovia, were not there."

wow, I'm shocked


the eyewitness reports seemed to be completely fabricated from the start, its very strange

 

[bcla]

The ride attendants check the restraints before you take off on the Texas Giant as well. They come by and pull up on every restraint to make sure it is locked in place. Sometimes they'll even check more than once.

I know that isn't quite the same as pulling up on the restraint yourself, but I know when I ride roller coasters, I always check my own restraint to make sure it's locked.

Just 9 days ago I was at Disneyland. I rode California Screamin' twice and pulled down on the shoulder harness enough that one more click and I would have injured myself. That thing was absolutely clamped tight, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

I sort of like the idea of the little belt that latches into the harness. In case the harness fails to lock, one could still hold on since the harness doesn't fly off completely if the harness somehow unlocks.

 

[FireDancer]

I just can't help but think of how many thousands of obese people (w/ large guts) have ridden these same rides over the years without a problem like this. This lady was pooh sized plus, no doubt, but surely there have been bigger than her; men, especially (meaning taller and wider). Interesting video linked, but maybe this wasn't the problem here?

Her weight might have just been a contributing factor and not the only one if it did play a part in this accident. It might be that one click (though I thought it was confirmed that this ride didn't actually click) should have been enough but this particular restraint was warn or weak because of fatigue. It could be where she sat in the car since different areas of the vehicle trains experience different loads during the ride (sitting on the inside of a turn as opposed to outside for example). It could be that this particular passenger didn't press the bar down as far as it could go because it felt tight where another person the same size would have made it fit a little better. I'm really not sure. These rides and mechanisms are pretty thoroughly engineered and tested so there usually have to be a cascade of circumstances to cause a failure.

If this coaster has electronically controlled sensors that tell the operator that the restraint is down and this sensor was both properly working and indicated that the restraint lowered enough to engage completely it is probably not as much the fault of the operator as we originally thought. That witness that heard this lady question the clicks on a ride that might not click has some other issues with her statement.