Incidents at European amusement parks

This is a summary of notable incidents that have taken place at various European amusement parks, water parks, or theme parks. This list is not intended to be a comprehensive list of every such event, but only those that have a significant impact on the parks or park owners, or are otherwise significantly newsworthy.

The term incidents refers to major accidents, injuries, deaths that occur at a European park. While these incidents were required to be reported to regulatory authorities due to where they occurred, they usually fall into one of the following categories:

• Caused by negligence on the part of the guest. This can be refusal to follow specific ride safety instructions, or deliberate intent to break park rules.
• The result of a guest's known, or unknown, health issues.
• Negligence on the part of the park, either by ride operator or maintenance.
• Act of God or a generic accident (e.g., slipping and falling), that is not a direct result of an action on anybody's part.

Alton Towers

Sky Ride

• On 29 June 2004, due to a strong gust of wind, the Sky Ride cables became caught, jamming the ride. About 80 people were on the ride, and nine people had to be rescued by being abseiled down 200 ft cables.^[1]

Runaway Mine Train

• On 20 July 2006, when the train was entering the tunnel section of its course, two carriages uncoupled, the carriages comprising the front half continuing up the slope while the rear half of the train remained stuck in the tunnel. The front half failed to make it over the hill, rolled back and crashed into the rear half which had remained stuck in the tunnel. Six people were taken to hospital and 23 others were treated for cuts and bruises. Following the incident the Runaway Mine Train was closed for the rest of the season. The train was only returned to full length operation in June the following year.^[2]

The Smiler

• On 2 June 2015, a train with 16 passengers collided with a stationary test car on the track. Four passengers — two male, two female, aged between 17 and 27 — received serious leg injuries and were airlifted to hospital for treatment, one of the casualties had to have her left leg amputated due to her injuries while a second casualty had to have her right leg amputated due to the extent of her injuries. A fifth person with neck and abdominal injuries was also taken to hospital. The other 11 riders were believed to have only minor injuries and received medical treatment at the scene. This has been stated to be the biggest incident to ever occur at Alton Towers. The theme park was closed until 7 June 2015 pending the completion of the investigation. As of September, it had begun testing with both empty carriages and ones filled with test dummies. Ride staff operating The Smiler at the time of the incident were questioned, including the ride operator and engineer, after reports that it was manually restarted, in similar fashion to the Alton mouse during its incident in 1991.^[3] This accident also caused Sonic Spinball (roller coaster) and three other roller coasters at sister parks Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures to close until additional safety procedures were researched or put in place, these rides reopened shortly afterwards, once deemed safe to continue operating.^{[4][5][6][7][8]} The Smiler reopened on March 19, 2016.^[9] Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd was prosecuted at North Staffordshire Justice Centre on 22 April 2016, in which the firm pleaded guilty,^[10][11][12] and were sentenced to a £5 million fine on 27 September 2016 after a two-day hearing at Stafford Crown Court.^[13]

Battersea Funfair

Big Dipper

• On 30 May 1972, one of the trains became detached from the lift chain and rolled back to the station (the anti-rollback mechanism having also failed), colliding with the other train. Five children were killed and thirteen others injured. The ride (the park's main attraction) was permanently closed, leading to the decline in the popularity of the funfair and its eventual closure at the end of the 1974 season.^[14]

Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Big Dipper

• On 11 August 2009, two trains carrying a total of 32 guests collided, resulting in 21 guests requiring treatment at a nearby hospital for injuries ranging from whiplash and broken noses, to cuts and bruises.^[15]

Big One

• On 31 August 2000, 23 people were injured, when two ride vehicles collided due to a failure of the ride's braking system. Of those injured, 21 were taken to hospital.^[16]
• On 14 June 2011, a ride train stopped abruptly, causing minor injuries to its occupants. One person was reported to be hospitalised with whiplash injury.^[17]

Grand National

• In 2014, a 58-year-old man broke his neck whilst riding the Grand National. It is understood he suffered from spondylitis, but ignored safety warnings and rode the wooden roller coaster with his 13-year-old nephew. Upon returning to the station, he was found slumped in the carriage and was rushed to hospital. ^[18]

Space Invader 2

• On 21 July 2000, an 11-year-old boy died after falling out of a ride vehicle on the Space Invader roller coaster. Reports say that he may have panicked on the dark ride and unfastened his seatbelt. As a result of the accident, the ride was closed and carriages were re-fitted with over the head restraints. The ride opened after a short hiatus as Space Invader 2.^[19]

Bridlington Bayside Fun Park

Jungle River Log Flume

• On 29 August 2011, a woman sustained severe leg injuries when the Jungle River Log Flume stuck and jolted throwing her out of the cabin. She was riding with her four-year-old granddaughter when the accident happened. It is believed that the ride stalled as it didn't have enough water in it. The granddaughter was taken to hospital with minor bruising. From July 2017, the ride has been replaced by a ferris wheel due to the accident.^[20]

Botton's Amusement Park

Surf Rider

• On 30 August 2011 at 3:15pm, emergency services were called to the ride after reports that the arm had collapsed. Firefighters used ropes and ladders to rescue the 22 passengers who had become lodged at a 90 degree angle. Seven passengers were injured and taken to hospital, including one woman with life-threatening head injuries. It was reported that the ride had maintenance done in the previous few days.^[21]

Camelot

The Gauntlet

• On October 22, 2001, a 59-year-old employee was killed as he was struck by a train when he was performing maintenance on the ride. Prime Resorts Limited was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £20,000 costs, after a court decided the death was caused by fundamental management errors.^[22]

Chessington World of Adventures

Tomb Blaster

• On 7 June 2012, A 4-year-old girl fell from an elevated walkway used as the queue for the Tomb Blaster attraction.^[23] The girl suffered broken ribs, a cracked skull, and brain hemorrhage when she fell through a hole in the wooden fencing. On Friday 9 January 2015, Chessington plead guilty to the incident labeling it a result of improper maintenance. H&S investigators said the fall happened as a result of water from the roof dripping onto the paneling, rotting the wood. On Monday 12 January 2015, Chessington World of Adventures Operations Ltd. was fined £150,000 as a result of the fall. Operator Merlin Entertainments apologised and said that they had since spent millions on remedial work across the park to ensure something similar could never occur again. One improvement made involved adding a steel rail fence to the Tomb Blaster queue.^[24]

Rattlesnake

• On the 2nd June 2015, The Smiler rollercoaster at Alton towers collided causing injuries to 11 riders, 4 seriously causing 2 girls aged 18-20 to have their legs amputated, On 5 June 2015, Merlin Entertainments decided that they were closing Rattlesnake and Dragon's Fury until new safety protocols had been applied. The ride re opened on 8 September 2015.

Coney Beach Pleasure Park, Porthcawl

Water Chute

• On 1 April 1994, a 9-year-old boy was killed after being flung off the 58-year-old "Water Chute" ride when a steel hoop collapsed in wet and windy conditions and fell onto the open-topped carriage in which he was travelling.^[25]

Disneyland Paris

Big Thunder Mountain

• On April 25, 2011, five guests were injured when a fiberglass rock on the third lift hill fell onto a passing train. One guest, a 38-year-old man, was seriously injured and transported to a Paris hospital, while the other four were treated at the scene.^[26] Once the attraction reopened, the falling rock effect was disabled.
• On October 27, 2011, two cars derailed as one of the ride's trains passed slowly over a flat section of track. Two guests were slightly injured, and the ride was subsequently closed for inspections.^[27]

It's a Small World

• On October 6, 2010, a 53-year-old cast member, subcontracted to Disney, became trapped underneath a boat on It's a Small World when the ride was inadvertently switched on while it was being cleaned. The man was taken to a hospital where he later died.^[28][29]

Phantom Manor

• On April 2, 2016, the body of a 45-year-old cast member was found in Phantom Manor. He had been working on lighting backstage and his death is understood to have been accidental and due to electrocution. The ride was closed pending an investigation.^[30]

Pirates Of The Caribbean

• On October 30, 2013, a 5-year-old guest fell out of a boat at the end of the ride after losing his balance. He became trapped between a platform and a boat. He was taken to hospital, where he was in critical condition; however, he survived.^[31]

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster avec Aerosmith

• On June 26, 2007, a 14-year-old guest lost consciousness on Rock 'n' Roller Coaster avec Aerosmith and died. Though paramedics attempted to revive her, she was dead before the ambulance arrived. A ride inspection showed no mechanical problems.^[32]

Tower of Terror

• On November 23, 2011, a 12-year-old boy was stated to have been paralyzed from the neck downwards after a ride in the free-fall ride Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. However hospital doctors later stated that the boy's upper limbs were already paralyzed upon arrival at the hospital and therefore refused to link the injuries to the ride.^[33][34]

Disney's Newport Bay Club

• On September 9, 2015, a 44-year-old male construction worker fell from scaffolding during the renovation of the Newport Bay Club hotel after a support rail gave way. Attempts were made to revive him but he died 40 minutes after the incident.^[35]

Disney's Sequoia Lodge

• On September 8, 1996, fire heavily damaged portions of the Sequoia Lodge hotel in the early hours of the morning, forcing 1,500 people to evacuate. Nine people sought treatment for smoke inhalation and four of them, including two pregnant women, were hospitalized for observation.^[36]

Drayton Manor

Maelstrom

• On 3 August 2012, a mother-of-two died of a heart attack after coming off the Maelstrom ride. The ride was closed for inspection.^[37]

Splash Canyon

• On 9 May 2017, an 11-year-old girl on a school field trip fell into the Splash Canyon rapids ride. According to Drayton Manor's director, George Byron, park staff responded immediately and rescued the girl from the water. The victim was airlifted to Birmingham Children's Hospital, but died from her injuries soon after arrival at hospital. The park was closed after the incident. It was reported as the first fatality in a British amusement park since an accident at Oakwood in 2004.^[38]

Flamingo Land

Magnum Force

• On 1 June 2004, a 32-year-old employee was injured by the Magnum Force roller coaster, allegedly due to him crossing through a restricted area under the coaster as a shortcut through the park.^[39]

Hero

• On 22 May 2015, a 15-year-old girl and a 26-year-old woman were injured after a foot-rail dislodged while in motion and landed in the queue for the ride. The 15-year-old girl was taken to Scarborough General Hospital where she received treatment for her head injuries, whereas the 26-year-old woman was treated at the scene. Although both have sustained head injuries, North Yorkshire Police released a statement claiming that neither was life-threatening. The ride has been taken out of operation in accordance with Flamingo Land's operational procedures, and is undergoing a full inspection in conjunction with the North Yorkshire Police Department and the HSE (Health and Safety Executive).^[40]

Gray's Amusement Park

• On 2 June 2000, a 12-year-old boy died as a result of injuries sustained at Gray's Amusement Park in Ingoldmells near Skegness. He was hit in the chest by a manual swing, known as The Swinging Gym. The incident was described as a tragic accident.^[41]

Gulliver's Land

• On 17 May 2006, a 56-year-old park employee was performing safety checks on the train when his head hit a bridge as the train dragged him through a tunnel, killing him.^[42][43]

Gulliver's World

Ferris Wheel

• On 13 July 2002, a 15-year-old girl with Down syndrome fell 30 feet (9.2 m) from a Ferris wheel. She was taken to hospital, and died two days later from her injuries.^[44] The park were fined a total of £80,000 for failing to ensure a person's safety, and not carrying out risk assessments.^[45]

Guillena Zoo

Flying Swinger

• Eighteen people were injured when a Flying Swinger ride collapsed at Guillena Zoo near Seville, Spain. The accident happened on 9 April 2005. Of the 18 injured, fifteen were children. Four people were seriously injured, including an 11-year-old girl and a woman, who were airlifted to a Hospital in Seville, after sustaining serious head and leg injuries. Witnesses said that the attraction's main support snapped in two, trapping victims under the debris. The ride, built in 2001, had just passed all of its required safety inspections.^[46]

Holiday Park

Spinning Barrels

• On 15 August 2014, an 11-year-old girl was killed after getting run over by several gondolas. She entered the ride via an unlocked door. When an employee turned on the ride and didn't notice that the girl wasn't inside the gondola, the girl tripped and fell. Three employees of the park were charged with involuntary manslaughter.^[47]

Legoland Billund

The Xtreme Racer

• On 29 April 2007, a 21-year-old park employee was killed by a ride vehicle on The Xtreme Racer, a roller coaster at the Billund, Denmark park, as she climbed over a security fence to retrieve a guest's wallet.^[48]

Lightwater Valley

Treetop Twister

• On 21 June 2001, a 20-year-old woman died while on the ride after two carriages collided.^[49] Police decided not to prosecute a maintenance worker, who claimed that he had only received an hour's training on that ride and had not seen its manual.^[50] Faulty wiring had also caused a malfunction on the ride.^[51] In October 2004, the deputy coroner ruled death by misadventure. On November 14, 2006, the park was charged with failing to ensure the health and safety of riders, and the ride operator was charged with failing to ensure safety through his work. Both pleaded guilty.^[52] The ride manufacturer, Reverchon Industries SA, was convicted of two charges of failing to ensure the ride's safe design and construction.^[53]

Liseberg

Lisebergbanan

• On 15 July 2006, 21 people were injured at Liseberg when two roller coaster trains, on the rollercoaster Lisebergbanan, collided. The crash happened when the chain that pulls trains up the initial climb malfunctioned, causing a fully loaded train to roll backward into the loading platform, hitting another train that was unloading riders. Since only part of the train was on the lift, the anti-rollback mechanism had not fully engaged and broke. The steel roller coaster was built in 1987 and is one of Sweden's largest, reaching speeds up to 80 km/h.^[54] Since the accident the roller coaster has opened again, after a technical adjustment.

Flumeride

• On 8 October 2006, a woman in her thirties was seriously injured on the log boat ride "Flumeride". At the second and final drop, a 14-meter (46 ft) slope, the woman apparently panicked, and tried to keep the log boat from travelling down the slope by holding onto the railings. She was ejected from the boat into the water and slid down the slope, where she was hit in the head by at least one of the two following log boats. Since she had managed to temporarily keep the log boat from dropping down the slope, the following two log boats passed the last safety gate, and couldn't be stopped from falling down the last slope where the woman was located. The event was witnessed by the staff who stopped the ride, but were unable to prevent two of the log boats from continuing. The woman, who was travelling together with her 11-year-old daughter and another woman, was taken to Sahlgrenska University Hospital, where she was reported to be in critical but stable condition. An investigation has been initiated by the authorities, and Liseberg has also initiated an internal inquiry.^[55][56][57] She eventually recovered fully.

Rainbow

• On 15 July 2008, 30 people were injured when the ride collapsed. The park manager stated that he believes a ball bearing on the ride failed.^[58] The ride was dismantled on 17 July 2008. Investigators then confirmed on 19 July 2008 that they had discovered a faulty drive shaft during their inspection. They believed that one of the axles that is designed to hold the passenger carriage horizontal failed. The drive shaft had been replaced by Huss Maschinefabrik, the ride's manufacturer, in 2003.^[59]

Loudoun Castle

Rat

• On 16 July 2007, an 18-year-old park worker with mild cerebral palsy died after falling 80 feet (24 m) from the Rat ride at the Scottish Park. He was on a day off on 15 July 2007 when it is believed he saw one of the carriages stuck on the ride. He climbed up to attempt to fix the ride; however when it started to move he was dragged to the highest point, when he lost his grip and fell. The park voluntarily closed the ride even after it passed inspection.^[60]

Luna Park (St Brieuc)

• On 10 August 2015, a woman broke her leg after one of the bungee lines snapped on a slingshot-style bungee ride, causing the carriage to hit one of the supporting poles.^[61]

M&D's

Tsunami

• On 4 July 2011, nine people, ranging in age from 9 to 49, had to be rescued from the Tsunami roller coaster, after a mechanical failure on the ride left them stranded 60 ft (18.2m) above the ground for up to eight hours.^[62]
• On 26 June 2016, the roller coaster Tsunami derailed, falling into the crowd below, injuring seven children and two adults. On the way down it hit the main structure and came to rest on a toddlers' ride. Ten park guests were taken to local hospitals for treatment. The park was evacuated following the incident.^[63][64][65]

White Water Log Flume

• Around 2013 there was an incident on the White Water Log Flume in which a teenage girl's leg was trapped between a barrier and a splashback on the ride's structure, causing a serious injury.^[66]
• In August 2015, three people were injured when the White Water Log Flume slipped on its track,^[67] and later the same month a 58-year-old woman and three teenagers were forced to walk down from the top of the ride after it stuck at the highest point.^[68]

Mirabilandia

Katun

• In 2007, a man was killed at the Mirabilandia theme park in Ravenna, Italy, when he was hit in the head by the leg of a female rider on the Katun inverted coaster. The girl whose leg struck the man was injured. The man was in a restricted area when he was struck, however the ride was still closed so officials could investigate.^[69]

Naudières

Roller Coaster

• On 13 August 2011, a 24-year-old ride operator was crushed by two trains at the Naudières theme park in Sautron, France. The man left the control booth of the ride whilst it was in motion. He slipped trapping his legs beneath the track and then was hit by a train, trapping him between two cars, crushing him beneath the ride's structure. Doctors amputated his legs at the scene, but he later died of his injuries. The park closed the next day due to 'very bad weather'.^[70]

Nigloland

Bat Coaster

• On 4 April 2005, the former golf coaster, was stopped by a gust while going into a curve that would naturally slow down the ride. The technician called managed to make the ride work again but it ended colliding with the technician's machine, hurting several rider's legs, one seriously. The attraction was closed down and removed from the park afterwards.^[71]

Oakwood

Drenched (Hydro)

• On 16 April 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.^[72] 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.^[73] In February 2008, Oakwood was charged by the Health and Safety Executive for park staff not ensuring that guests were properly and safely restrained.^[74] On 22 May 2008, magistrates in Haverfordwest magistrates court rejected Oakwood Leisure Limited's request for an adjournment and directed that the hearing should proceed on the assumption of a not guilty plea. The magistrates declined jurisdiction and adjourned the case which was committed for crown court trial in Swansea Crown Court on 7 July 2008.^[75] The magistrates' court was limited to fining the company £20,000, the crown court can impose an unlimited fine.^[76] On 8 July 2008, Oakwood plead guilty under the Health and Safety Act 1974 for failing to conduct its business such to ensure that its guests were not exposed to risks.^[77] In December 2008 the company was fined £250,000 plus £80,000 in costs.^[78]

Phantasialand

Gebirgsbahn & Grand Canyon Achterbahn

• On 1 May 2001, a fire broke out at the Phantasialand theme park in Brühl, near Cologne, Germany. 54 people were injured during the fire, however no one was seriously hurt. The fire broke out on the powered roller coaster "Grand Canyon Achterbahn" which was located inside the structure of the bigger roller coaster "Gebirgsbahn" on a day when the park was filled with 20,000 visitors. The park's founder said a cable fire was most likely the cause of the blaze. There were 150 passengers on the 2 rides when the fire broke out. Some passengers of the "Gebirgsbahn" were only able to exit the cars using a 60-foot ladder. The mostly polystyrene facade was coated with a fire-resistant film; however, it had lost its effect after years of operation and caught fire. The 2 roller coasters and the nearby "Tanagra Theater" were completely destroyed and demolished shortly after. Following this accident, the park improved the safety standards on many of its attractions. This resulted in some compromises. Some of the effects on the park's rides had to be removed, the upper floor of the IMAX simulator "Galaxy" (later: "Race For Atlantis") was permanently closed and the track of the "Gondelbahn 1001-Nacht" darkride was shortened to make room for a rescue passage for firetrucks. The park also installed new sprinkler systems in some of the rides like the "Silbermine" darkride. Today the rapid river "River Quest" is located on the site of the 2 roller coasters. The "Tanagra Theater" was replaced with the Vekoma madhouse "Feng Ju Palace".^[79]

Black Mamba

• On 14 May 2011, a 48-year-old man died while riding Black Mamba, an inverted roller coaster. According to German safety inspectors the roller coaster and all safety features were sound and passed extensive testings by the TÜV. Autopsy showed that the death was caused by a heart attack.^[80]

Parc Astérix

• On 5 July 2006, a 6-year-old Belgian boy drowned as he was dragged underwater by the current.^{[81][82][83][84]}

PortAventura World

PortAventura Park

Tomahawk

• On 18 May 2009, a 55-year-old park employee died after being run over by a coaster train as he was performing maintenance.^[85]

Pleasureland Southport

Sky Ride

• On 25 August 2004, a 59-year-old employee was killed after he became trapped.^[86] The park was fined £95,000 for breaching health and safety laws, and were also ordered to pay £50,000 in costs.

Prater

Extasy

• On 5 April 2010, a Viennese man died after trying to jump onto a high-speed carousel ride at Vienna's Prater amusement park. The 34-year-old was drunk when he attempted to get back on the ride after it had started by hurling himself at the spinning carousel. He died soon after from multiple life-threatening injuries.^[87]

Volare

• Three people were injured on the Volare roller coaster on 22 October 2010, when a crane crashed against the ride. The 'wagon' steered into the crane's hoist, set close to the ride. A 21-year-old Macedonian man sustained serious head injuries when he fell 8 metres to the ground from the platform supported by the crane. One tourist sustained a broken arm while her friend suffered cuts and bruises. The official accident report says the employee operating the roller coaster was unaware the worker was busy on the scaffolding when he started up the ride. Newspapers, however, report that the attraction has been in operation many times while the painters were busy.^[88]

Rotunda Amusement Park

Mini-Dragon

• On 11 September 1999, an 8-year-old girl died after falling from the coaster and hitting her head on a steel support. On 19 February 2003, Dreamland Leisure was found guilty of negligence in ensuring guest safety. The company was fined £25,000 and ordered to pay £15,000 in compensation to the victim's mother.^[89]

Terra Mitica

Inferno

• On 7 July 2014, a teenager was killed after his harness sprung open on Inferno, a ZacSpin coaster at Terra Mítica in Benidorm, Spain.^[90] All other ZacSpins across the world ceased operations pending investigation findings from Terra Mictica and later reopened.^[91][92][93]

Thorpe Park

Rumba Rapids

• In the ride's opening year of 1986, an 11-year-old boy was thrown from a boat and lost an ear. The news was broken by Children's BBC TV news programme, Newsround.^[94]

X

• On 31 August 2000, an 11-year-old boy broke both his legs and was left with slurred speech after suffering a brain injury (left vertebral artery dissection) on the ride caused by falling out of the car.^[94]

Tibidabo Amusement Park

Pèndol

• On 10 July 2010 a 15-year-old girl died and three other teenagers were injured when the mechanical arm of the Pèndol (Pendulum) broke and the basket carrying the four teens fell onto a nearby ride. It's the first and only accident that has happened in the park, one of the oldest in the world.^[95][96]

Tivoli Friheden

Cobra

• On 4 July 2008, four unidentified people were injured while riding the Cobra coaster. The ride vehicle broke in two, with the front part of the train falling to the ground.^[97]

Tramore Amusement Park

Slingshot

• On 5 August 2002, a 16-year-old male employee of the park was struck and killed by the ride while it was in operation.^[98]

Ghost Train

• On 26 August 2006, a 22-year-old man died in an accident after he drunkenly stood up in the ghost train car, fell out over the side, and broke his neck against the wall.^[99]

Wonderland Pleasure Park

Astroslide

• On 5 September 2004, a seven-year-old girl died after sustaining severe head injuries after falling to the ground while exiting the ride.^[100]

See also

• Amusement park accidents

References