Women dies after riding Perilous Plunge at Knott's

This year has been cracy!! I've never heard about so many accidents in one year!

Since no details were given, I am betting that 100 to 1 that she was doing something improper. From the looks of the ride, and considering it's steep, fast, & built by Intamin...

...She probably didn't have the lap bar tight enough on her. Those restraints look very similar to the ones used on their hyper coasters (Superman & MF), and you can set how tight or loose you want it, and even trick the ride ops to keeping it looser than it really is.

As unfortunate as it is, there is probably about 80% fault lying in the rider who was killed.

These rides were created with safety as their #1 priority, and since nobody else got hurt or injured on the ride... on the same ride at the time, mind you... there can really only be one conclusion!

Wow, Knott's is not having a good year. First Monte, no the Plunge.
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The Pens will win the Stanley Cup in 2002!

That's really sad, I for some reason doubt that the ride did it, but, who knows.
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"Villain-Once You Drop, The Fun Don't Stop!"~SFWoA Rules In 2001~X Marks The Spot In 2001(SFWoA)~With SFWoA ANYTHING Is Possible!

In all honesty, we have no clue yet what the cause of this was.  I think we should all wait until when/if we hear the details of this to be making any type of judgements.  And trust me - having a little room on those type of restraints is in no way unsafe.  I've had multiple inches of room on three different Intamin rides and you are not going anywhere (without trying very hard).  If that bar is even a few inches past your knees, you are secure.  Plus, I would imagine, this being a Cedar Fair park, that this ride had seatbelts too.

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-Matt
2001 Magnum Crew

I don't know about the saftey here, but at Cedar Point on one Water Ride (I forget the name) you go down about 30 feet, and there are no bars or belts!
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Not to be mean but does anyone know if she was heavy set, if these restraints are like Supeman's we had a heavy set guy fall out up at SFDL.
I'm not making conclusion's like others here, I'm just giving a reason she could have fallen out instead of blaming her right away.

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Army rangers lead the way

*** This post was edited by supermandl on 9/23/2001. ***

Here is more on the accident, the boat arrived back into the station with the restraint and seatbelt still locked, now I'm going ask was she super skinny that's the only way I can think to get out of both and for them to stay locked.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-000076304sep23.story

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Army rangers lead the way

*** This post was edited by supermandl on 9/23/2001. ***

If the restraint and seatbelt were locked then there should be no possible way for anyone to fall out.

How could the women fall out of her seat when there is a restraint and a seatbelt?

This is a horrible year for Knott's in accidents. Two deaths in the same month is un-thinkable, which is truly sad.

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"Duff Man Says... Ohhh Yeah!"
Current Favorite Coasters:
1)Raging Bull 2)Millennium Force 3)Medusa (SFMW) 4)Vertical Velocity (SFGAm) 5)Dueling Dragons (Ice)
*** This post was edited by StealthmF5m3 on 9/23/2001. ***

Sad as in pathetic, is more like it!

I really gotta put the blame on the rider, plain and simple. What, did the ride hit a speed bump before it started to plunge down? Falling a full 100+ feet, it just seems weird. With the fact that the restraints were indeed locked (as the story says), then I don't think it's Intamin or Cedar Fair's fault.

I somehow find out that this rider must have maybe stood up? Maybe she was already wet, wearing silk, and she was slippery so as soon as the ride plunged downward, she didn't stick in her seat and flew out?? Maybe she hit the ejector button? I really don't know. This is all speculation until the facts come through. I just don't see it as really being even half of Knotts or Intamin's fault. I think the majority of the fault lies in the rider.

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I don't know about the saftey here, but at Cedar Point on one Water Ride (I forget the name) you go down about 30 feet, and there are no bars or belts!

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yeah, but those rides dont give any airtime, Perilous Plunge gives LOTS of ejector airtime *** This post was edited by Wackokid on 9/23/2001. ***

www.ocregister.com/local/plunge00923cci1.shtml

Employees at amusement parks are instructed not to comment on any accidents that happen in the park, obviously for legal reasons. But I'd be willing to *bet* that her seat belt was not on tight enough, and her lap bar not down far enough. If she was a thin lady, she simply slipped out. In anticipation of that huge, steep drop; passengers will often shift their positions in the boat, covering their faces, leaning in on each other to protect themselves from getting drenched(as if that's even possible on this ride).

It sounds like *employee* error to me.

That said, I'm really sad for this young woman
and her family, this sort of thing should not happen. Ironically, people still wonder how the young boy fell out of the Intamin built Drop Zone at PGA. Yet another recent accident on Intamin's Superman(SFNE) lacks a sufficent explanation IMO.

I hope a certain comment made recently about lap bars being "up" a little doesn't come back to haunt Cedar Fair.

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And then Jerry said, "Take care of yourselves, and each other". *** This post was edited by DWeaver on 9/23/2001. ***

What is up with Knotts Berry Farm?
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9 Years Working at Valleyfair
13Hours From Cedar Point

A bad year for coasters of all types. 

They say when the ride stopped, the lap bar and the seatbelt were SECURLY fastened.  My guess on this:  Fastened or not, she may not have been wearing her seatbelt.  Have you ever noticed at knotts they always check to make sure the lapbar is fastened, but never the seatbelt.  There is a reason why they put those seatbelts on these rides.   

Also, while riding Jaguar, I personally have had the lapbar come up one notch while the ride was in motion.  These lapbars cant save you by themselves.

Well, from that other news story, It seems like she fell out when going down the Drop, and of course when the boat came back, the restraints were still locked. This obviously puts the blame on the Rider, and a slight case of Employee Error.

In my opinion, I believe this is what probably happened. The Lady got in the Ride as normal, she put the seatbelt on, and pushed down the Bar, Now I think the lady didnt tighten the seatbelt very well, Or she didnt actually Put the seatbelt on at all??? She could have also left up the other Bar leaving a little bit of room between her. Now when the employees came round to check everyone's restraints, I think they missed checking this Lady's Seatbelt and probably thought it was On anyway when it probably was'nt(When I have been on any ride with a seatbelt, I have always seen Employees make sure that the seatBelt is definatly on and as tight as possible to keep you firmly in, After all its there for a good reason) Now Note the details about this whole incident, Knotts was closed for a Private Party, the incident happened at about 10.20PM which means Knotts were probably about to close for the night. Now I am wondering if the Lady tried to have a little bit of fun towards the end of the day, Prehaps she was showing off to her Friends, and decided to try and stand up for a Laugh, I am guessing this happened in the turn around at the top. You may think someone would have seen her do this. but dont forget, this was at 10.20PM with no one around, and it would have been dark so it would have been hard for anyone,even the employees to see her do it. Now, while she was trying to have her little bit of fun, she didnt realise the drop was about to come up, and when she tryed to get back in her Seat, She didnt have time to do so, and this meant because of the ejector air you get on the ride and the the steepness of the drop, she flew out of her seat, and down into the Water Below.

I'm not saying if my Theory Is right, but when you add up all the facts , My Story could be very near to the truth I think. Look at some of the other stories we have had in the Past, The Shockwave Incident at PKD, where it was confirmed the person tryed to wriggle out of the restraints and fell to his death, and the PGA incident with their Drop Tower ride, where a Kid again somehow got out of his restraints, and again fell from the Top. What I am trying to say is, Most Accidents(Not all though of course) are actually caused by Rider Error and are no way in fault of the park, I have a feeling this is what happened at Knotts, and I hope again that Knotts are cleared of any blame for this Death

FINAL VERDICT - Definatly Rider Error in my opinion, Plus a slight Case of Employee Error as well.
*** This post was edited by PaulD on 9/23/2001. ***

Dimension 7, like Jeff has said this year hasn't been any worse than before.  Now there is just more news over these things.  Someone's got the stats?...

Doesn't look to good for Knott's