Video: Man Escapes Malfunctioning Roller Coaster Just in Time
An unbelievably frightening video shows a roller coaster rider jumping from the ride after his seatbelt malfunctioned. The man spoke to Fox 10 Phoenix under the condition of anonymity, detailing his horrifying ordeal.
The victim was celebrating his niece's 12th birthday on Nov. 24 at the Castles ‘n Coasters amusement park when they decided to go on the Desert Storm coaster. The Desert Storm dares riders to “test your courage as you challenge the excitement of vertical drops, loops, and spins!"
"We started going up, everything seems to be okay. And then when we get closer to the top, I hear a click. Different from the click of the roller coaster going up on the chain," the man recalled. "So I check my bar, and when I pushed it, it released. It opened," he realized with horror.
The victim was able to safely climb from his seat and onto an emergency evacuation staircase, where he met an employee. "I told her my lap bar came up, and she yelled at me, ‘I told you to check it.' And I just walked down the stairs and kind of broke down because the adrenaline was so much," he said.
Despite the victim and other witnesses giving statements to the park, Castles ‘n Coasters was reportedly rather blasè about the incident. The amusement park allegedly refused to provide incident reports to the victim or any of the other witnesses.
"They told me I couldn't have it because their policy states that a general manager has to give it to me,” the victim explained. “So, I asked, let me take a picture of it. They wouldn't give it to me at all.”
The victim and his family did receive a refund from the park, but he doesn’t feel that’s an adequate response. The man is hoping that the park will take accountability and fix any outstanding mechanical issues to prevent injury or harm to any future guests.
Castles ‘n Coasters did not immediately return a request for comment from Men’s Journal. Arizona is one of only eight American states which do not utilize a regulatory firm to oversee amusement parks.
You can check out the harrowing footage below.
Haven’t seen anybody talk about this, but this happened on November 24. On Desert Storm at Castle n Coasters, the over the shoulder restraint released halfway through the lift, and the guy luckily got off before it descended into the drop.
— GavinDippinDotMan (@GavinMackool) November 26, 2024
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