Two visitors to Sandusky, Ohio’s Cedar Point amusement park were inured recently when the cable snapped on the Skyhawk, a popular ride that swings riders as high as 125 feet into the air at speeds of 60 miles per hour. Company spokesman Bryan Edwards told reporters that a cable on one of the ride’s carriages disconnected, damaging a fence near the ride where spectators often stand to watch and injuring two riders. Now, the Skyhawk, which had been closed twice before for technical problems, is now closed again indefinitely.
“It was awful,” one rider who was on the Skyhawk when the cable snapped told reporters. “They shut down the power and the ride kept swinging, letting gravity take over … meanwhile the cable was whipping around smacking the ride and destroying things on the ground. We are all lucky that there were no more serious injuries.”
While America’s amusement parks have made great strides in safety in recent years, accidents and injuries do happen. In fact, statistics from the International Association of Amusement Parks show that the estimated injury total at amusement parks nationwide increased 18 percent in 2011 over 2010.
Thus far, it’s reported that two victims of the Skyhawk accident reportedly were not seriously injured. One was treated at the park and another was transported to a nearby hospital and released. But much like car accidents, theme park ride accidents can cause soft tissue or muscle injuries, such as whiplash, that are not immediately identifiable. Symptoms may not be apparent right away, but these injuries can have lasting effects including long-term pain; persistent headaches or stiffness in the neck; blurred vision or chronic fatigue. Such injuries can last days, weeks or even years and can have a significant impact on your quality of life.
If you suffer an injury while enjoying a day at one of Florida’s many theme parks, report it to a staff member, get medical attention and contact an experienced amusement park accident attorney. Call Orlando’s Todd E. Copeland & Associates at 407-999-8995.
