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The article says the accident doesn't look intentional. Does that mean it doesn't look like he committed suicide or it doesn't look like an attendant didn't strap him in on purpose?
An "accident," by definition, isn't intentional. But that's what passes for journalism today.
The article says the accident doesn't look intentional. Does that mean it doesn't look like he committed suicide or it doesn't look like an attendant didn't strap him in on purpose?
Why were there no chaperones in the amusement park on a spring break school trip to keep the kids safe?
How do you know there weren’t? Why would a chaperone tell him he can’t go on the ride when the ride operators are telling him he can? Someone earlier said this was actually the only ride he was allowed on due to his size.
How do you know there weren’t? Why would a chaperone tell him he can’t go on the ride when the ride operators are telling him he can? Someone earlier said this was actually the only ride he was allowed on due to his size.
You are correct, chaperones may have been in the park. An alert adult might have thought if it wasn't safe enough to put him on other rides, maybe he shouldn't go on this one either. Fourteen year olds don't have fully developed brains like an adult does to figure some things out.
I don't want to sound like I'm blaming the victim, this is a terrible tragedy, and youngsters shouldn't be operating these rides. Maybe adults shouldn't let kids go to amusement parks without supervision.
Someone who was familiar with this young man said this was the only ride he was allowed to go on due to his size -- but it wasn't because it was safe for him. The ride operators weren't responsible; he never should have been allowed on.
It is incumbent on the parks and operators to ensure individuals are safe. If he was told no, he could have sued all he wanted, but would have failed to win.
I agree with you.
However, if you examine the photo in one of the above links from Vabs, it clearly shows that the kid's chest harness was not fastened like it was on the kids sitting next to him. The kid had already been turned away from other rides because of his girth. It's not like he was clueless of the dangers. If he was aware (and I don't know if he was or wasn't) that he wasn't strapped in properly, he should have gotten off the ride. I would have at his age.
I'm not placing blame on him necessarily. I'm just pointing out a fact. If we don't stress this stuff to kids, we fail them and we set them up to die or be maimed for life. There are dangers to carnival rides. I knew that when I was 14. Didn't you? This one wasn't a Merry-Go-Round. It dropped people from hundreds of feet in the air.
You are correct, chaperones may have been in the park. An alert adult might have thought if it wasn't safe enough to put him on other rides, maybe he shouldn't go on this one either. Fourteen year olds don't have fully developed brains like an adult does to figure some things out.
I don't want to sound like I'm blaming the victim, this is a terrible tragedy, and youngsters shouldn't be operating these rides. Maybe adults shouldn't let kids go to amusement parks without supervision.
I assume it was park ride operators who told him he couldn't go on other rides individually because the safety devices weren't large enough. The chaperones would not have engineering data or know how big the seat belts were to determine which rides can sustain his size and which couldn't. Maybe they told the staff when the team arrived that this was the only appropriate ride for him. I can't see how a chaperone would be able to determine that without knowing what kind and size restraints were being used on each ride.
However, if you examine the photo in one of the above links from Vabs, it clearly shows that the kid's chest harness was not fastened like it was on the kids sitting next to him. The kid had already been turned away from other rides because of his girth. It's not like he was clueless of the dangers. If he was aware (and I don't know if he was or wasn't) that he wasn't strapped in properly, he should have gotten off the ride. I would have at his age.
I'm not placing blame on him necessarily. I'm just pointing out a fact. If we don't stress this stuff to kids, we fail them and we set them up to die or be maimed for life. There are dangers to carnival rides. I knew that when I was 14. Didn't you? This one wasn't a Merry-Go-Round. It dropped people from hundreds of feet in the air.
He probably expected the operators to come by and check the harness. I'm sure from the time he sat down till the time the ride left was very brief, especially if he was one of the last to get on. I can't recall ever going on any major/big ride where a person didn't come by and pull up on the harness to make sure it was locked. To me it was negligent that they didn't. This is how the girl died on Lightening Loops years ago here. Her harness wasn't locked in but she was not overweight at all. No one checked it. I didn't watch the video but others who did said it seemed like he was trying to get their attention as the ride was starting.
He probably expected the operators to come by and check the harness. I'm sure from the time he sat down till the time the ride left was very brief, especially if he was one of the last to get on. I can't recall ever going on any major/big ride where a person didn't come by and pull up on the harness to make sure it was locked. To me it was negligent that they didn't. This is how the girl died on Lightening Loops years ago here. Her harness wasn't locked in but she was not overweight at all. No one checked it. I didn't watch the video but others who did said it seemed like he was trying to get their attention as the ride was starting.
Maybe.
But because he didn't take a proactive stance, he's dead. He wasn't six years old. He was 14. I was babysitting at his age.
Teach your children well. Carnival rides can kill.
It was not the dead kids fault the workers didn’t check his harness. It was murder by the park he was in.
Thank goodness I don’t ride roller coasters!
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