Six Flags America Accident

Girl falls 25ft from Octopus ride.

I've submitted for news but I'm bored and want to disuss with people.

I don't know the restraint system but isn't it just 1 bar that goes across the seating area? Possible for a small child to stand up? Does this ride swing violent enough to toss a kid?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,292087,00.html *** Edited 8/4/2007 2:33:49 AM UTC by Crashmando***

Thats horrible, Six Flags doesnt need this right now. Thoughts go out to the girl and her family.

I've been on this ride before, it's NOT an Eyerly Octopus or Spider, all 6 arms load flat. When I rode it last, there was only a bar, with no seatbelt, so it is possible to stand up on it. The highest the car would go, is I think about 18 feet at the highest, so if the girl fell from the highest point, theres a possiblity she could have rolled a distance. Its a miricle she didn't get run over by the other cars.

An accident happened at SFNO a few years ago when a woman was not in her car and was dragged and killed when the ride started up. That was operator error.

Good thing that the girl will be alright. I hope that she recovers fast, and my prayers go out to her and her family. I am curious to know how the accident happened.

Personally I think that the media shouldn't report on the accident until they know more of the facts, but we all know that won't happen. Anything for a story!

*** Edited 8/4/2007 3:45:01 AM UTC by Coasterfantom2***

Gatta love how the headline clearly says "Falls 25 ft" but within the first few sentences, it says how she could have fell anywhere from 4 to 25 feet... therefore, a 25 foot fall would have been the WORST case scenario. My guess... it was something stupid the girl was trying to do (like stand up), but I'll hold judgment until the investigation is over.

To add to what I had said, this article gives a little more info...

http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=25&sid=1209118

"It happened when she stood up on the ride and fell out. It was a four-foot drop."

The girl was a 4-yr old and according to the article "appears to be in good condition."
*** Edited 8/4/2007 3:58:14 AM UTC by Coaster Lover***

Was she riding in that car alone? Or was a guardian with her in the SAME seat?

Local news station said something about her (a six year old girl) standing up after the ride began to move.

The ride, I think, may be a Zamperla Polyp, or something similar. It only have 5 arms, and I don't think it goes up 25 feet high. 15 feet or so maybe, but 25 seems a bit high.

I've ridden this ride before. There is a single hydraulic T-style lap bar that covers both riders in each car. I'm assuming that if she was next to someone larger, that there was enough space for her to get out from under the bar and stand up.

I would like to know where her guardian was and what they were doing. Fortunately, they expect her to make a full recovery. This one can be chalked up to rider error (and possibly parental error, though that's another story).

Well, the media reporting of accidents continue with Six Flags Great America also.

A mother and 3 kids reported a sudden jolt and stop on the Orbit. This is a Schwarzkopf version of a Huss Enterprise. I don't believe this one as no-one else on the ride was hurt and it opened back up the same day after being inspected.

Click here.

I've ridden it, and those cars have some really good spinning motion. Was anyone else in the car with her to hold on to her?

Besides the bar, there's a seat belt. And there's no way that thing goes up to 25 feet. *** Edited 8/4/2007 7:07:28 AM UTC by ilovethewildone***

Here is the ride

http://flatrides.com/Ride%20Index%20Pages/polyp.htm *** Edited 8/4/2007 4:59:05 PM UTC by Scottt***

I'm going to lean on the 4-foot height and call B.S. on this one.

http://www.rideaccidents.com/

According to this, she fell 4 feet after she stood up.

Hope the kid's alright though.

That Orbit thing isn't an accident. That other Octopus ride at SFNO had NOTHING to do with someone on the ride. Someone jumped over the fence, and was killed by the ride moving. That's why they are making these fences so hard to jump over now. Well, they are trying to at least.

Sadly, this proves my point. The most accidents happen because of PEOPLE doing stupid stuff, or because the people have problems (mentally challenged, heart condition). *** Edited 8/4/2007 2:18:35 PM UTC by Spinout***

^^^^ Here is the pic.

Sounds like another case of the rider being unaware of how to behave on a moving ride.

And the best part of that ride is where it is- close enough to Shipwreck Falls to catch a bit of the splash!

^^^That was because the lady stood up trying to strap her grandchild in and the ride operator started the ride and she was struck, nobody jumped the fence.

Why do the Italian ride manufactures have to make things so confusing? This is one ride that is attributed to Satori on flatrides.com, but not made by them.

If you look down at the part where you step into the cars, it says "ELP." That stands for Emiliana Luna Park, and yes, the rides look identical to each other when you compare back and forth. Maybe it's licensed to Emiliana Luna Park by Satori? I don't know.

I don't think the word "trademark" exists in the Italian language, as I've seen all kinds of knockoffs of not only Italian products from Zamperla by other Italian companies, but American and German flats as well.

As for the ride itself, it packs one powerful punch when it first gets started up, and there are definitely seatbelts. According to the Emiliana Luna Park page, the max height is five meters, or about 16.4 feet. *** Edited 8/4/2007 5:13:02 PM UTC by Intamin Fan***