Since the late nineteenth century, amusement parks have been providing countless hours of enjoyment for people all around the world. Often driven by the latest technology and advances in mechanical engineering, the thrill rides at parks like Disney Land, Great America, and other independent parks offer a controlled environment to experience terror and excitement.
While these rides, and the parks in general, are very safe and held to strict safety standards, there are times when the unthinkable happens—a cable snaps, a safety harness breaks—and the once safe ride becomes a nightmare for passengers. Far more often than not, tragic amusement park accidents are the result of human foolishness or, far less often, operator error. But other times, they are a bizarre fluke; a one in a million mechanical problem no one saw coming. Either way, the results can be shocking, horrifying, and even deadly.
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References
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Anaheim Bulletin. 1973. "D'land visitor drowning victim." Anaheim Bulletin, June 23: 1.
Associated Press. 1980. "Roller coaster death probed." Free Lance (Hollister, CA), April 3: 10.
—. 1998. "Disney visitor had no chance, surgeon says." Sacramento Bee, December 28: 4.
Brown, Lee. 1964. "2 youths tell story of fatal 'bobsled' ride." The Independent (Long Beach, CA), May 22: 17.
Daily News. 1983. "A ride to the courthouse." Daily News (New York, NY), July 3: 32.
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Fisher, Joseph. 1980. "Man who fell from alpine slide dies after several days in coma." Daily Record (Morristown, NJ), Juky 17: 1.
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—. 1966. "Monorail victim crashing party?" Press-Telegram (Long Beach, CA), June 19: 4.
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Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
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