They say theres no such thing as bad publicity, but in the case of Action Park, the negative press reports caught up with them. Eventually, riders were forced to evacuate, clutching the railing tightly as they walked down the treacherous incline of the roller coaster. Read next: Stuck in quarantine, these guys built roller-coasters in their backyards. Only four months after its inception, the waterpark unveiled the attraction: a spine-shivering 170-foot-tall slide that was almost as scary to ascend with its 264 steps as it was to slip down the 17-story drop. The water was so filled with gas and oil that you dare not fall into it. It's 2020 and people seem to have things dialed in and semi-secure, but not everything works out the way it's supposed to. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. Where were the lifeguards during all this, you ask? He wanted to let people control the action, control their own destiny. It was sold in 1996 to Intrawest, with its new owners changing its name, scaling back more dangerous rides, and developing a ski park - an addition which Andy Mulvihill pointed out presented many of the same risks as the initial park. This event resulted in tragic results for the family involved. While other roller coasters have since eclipsed it in terms of speed and height, few have eclipsed it in terms of danger. Disturbingly, a former employee of the park named Tom Fergus told Complex Magazine that the white paint was put in to help spot dead bodies. Water rides are fun on a hot, sunny day, but not so fun when the supposed secure boat car for the ride tips over. Copyright 2009-2020 Theme Park Tourist, website by Siruss. What Other Night-Time Events Could Avengers: Power the Night Inspire at Disneyland Paris? In 2014, Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City was racing to produce the worlds largest water slide to be featured on the showXtreme Waterparks. We would disappear for hours on end, no cell phones, no checking injust be back in time for dinner. How about rides that try to replicate the speed and action of downhill skiing? Eventually, they got in trouble for selling worthless stocks. Rides werent properly maintained, and it wasnt uncommon to see bolts sticking out of the slides. Throughout its lifetime as the Tidal Wave Pool, the attraction resulted in at least three drownings and hundreds of injuries, earning this attraction the well-deserved nickname of the Grave Pool. 2 Nitro, New Jersey This insane ride is found in Jersey's SIX FLAGS and has single-handedly made the adventure park a world attraction. The Six Flags in New Jersey, as well as in Georgia and Kentucky, have had to be shut down completely due to some unimaginably awful events that took place there. Then, others were coming out all cut up. Can It Survive Long-Term? People were getting launched off the track. That program lasted a few months before it was canceled., Next, he found himself in the Beer Hut. Looking back, It seems pretty horrifying, but at the time, this was just par for the course. They kept sending us free passes to go back so we went again but I was extremely cautious and only went on one ride a kayak where you simply paddled around a sort of lazy river, McKeown said. Six people would still be alive today if Action Park had a stronger focus on safety. Good thinking. It was a daredevils dream, just like these incredible amusement parks. It probably wasnt on the same scale, but we all had certain funfairs, parks, and playgrounds that were a massive risk to use. Luckily, the Catapult did not cause any fatal accidents during its existence. Batman: The Ride gives you all the fun of being Batman, which is actually, it's no fun being Batman. The leading independent voice for aviation news and insight. Some places Ive been to werent trying to create the illusion: they were genuinely unsafe. Ocean City in New Jersey at Gillian's Wonderland Pier They proudly showed me the skid-mark-like scars that burnished their thighs after riding down the Alpine Slide. It now goes by the name Mountain Creek Waterpark. Action Park simply refused to pay rent or taxes. When Action Park first opened, it started with a two-day promotion, including a Dolly Parton look-alike contest, and a tobacco juice spitting competition. Im 6-foot-5 and was built like a stick back then, he says. In our opinion, parks like these should be shut down and these animals should be rehabilitated and released. It became notorious Other minor incidents have been reported to have taken place at this theme park, according to the IAAPA. Very scary to think she was doing anything safety related., Seccia got his start working in the cafeteria, and agrees that the employees were as unsupervised and reckless as the guests. Action Park and its cheaply made attractions quickly gained a reputation in the surrounding area for being dangerous and, in some cases, deadly. In 1978, a new amusement and water park opened in Vernon Township, New Jersey in hopes of drawing more visitors to the Vernon Valley Ski Resort. However, soon after the parks opening, it became apparent there would be many problems in the years to come. Which is fine, except space travel is incredibly dangerous. During the first few years of operation, Action Park saw the most injuries come from the alpine slide where carts would regularly derail after brakes failed to malfunction or the driver (most often children) did not apply the brake in time. See Our Before-and-After Layouts and Vote! It was like freezing cold lightning. Employees found out how to override the speed governor and the karts could now hit speeds of up to 60mph. Someone with a physics background, probably? Picture Lord of the Flies but with more sunscreen. Though no one was hurt, this accident revealed the rides dangerous flaws and ultimately led to its demise. You went so fast that if your chin hit the water at the wrong angle, you chipped your teeth, she recalled, having lost part of a tooth herself. There was a tube ride that was so overrun with people it became like Roller Derby. All of my older cousins seemed nervous going and thats never a good sign when youre 12, he tells me. Deadly or not, teeth were often lost sometimes embedded in the top of the loop and it proved dangerous enough that it was only operational for about a month. In the documentary, they point out that any cops that showed up were probably given some monetary encouragement to keep ongoing. The area became known as Action Park, a thrilling adventure for the family featuring water slides, go karts, a wave pool, and an alpine slide. We had playground/climbing equipment at our schools that were absolute death traps. The idea was to create intense water slides and make it into an entire park. The Giant Canyon Swing in Colorado is a pendulum ride that moves four passengers back and forth and hits a top speed of 50 miles per hour. The chilling streak of lethal incidents began in 1980, when an employees sled derailed while riding the Alpine Slide, throwing them off the tracks. Seth Porges, the co-director and producer of an upcoming documentary about Action Park called Class Action Park, also began questioning his memories, which were so unbelievable his friends thought he was making them up. Action Park, the most dangerous amusement park of all time, is the subject of a new documentary, Class Action Park, on HBO Max. Whenever he needed a new ride, he would turn back to his Wall Street friend for money. Additionally, there have been two reports of even more serious incidents occurring thanks to the dangerous water attractions as well as the rides at the park. Amusement park rides, unlike horror movies, actually do kill people. Carley Lerner is a freelance writer and former editorial intern for Reader's Digest. WebIn this video, we explore the notorious Action Park, known as America's most dangerous water park. THEN & NOW: How Did Mr. Toad's Fantasyland Ride Turn into Pooh? Most of the dangerous things weve covered happened to the staff, and those who were testing the rides. This was due to an event where the coaster stopped upside down after failing to stop at the station. My parents would never question what a teacher would have to say, but these days, I think its the complete opposite: how dare you infer my child isnt perfect? People who grew up going to and working at Action Park repeatedly compare it to a real-life 1980s movie., People were just running around drunk, getting sunburned and passing out from exhaustion and near-drowning experiences, Seccia adds. Afterward, the park was evacuated for about 20 minutes. A. Of course, all of this digging led to new questions. In Injuries were treated in a makeshift infirmary by spraying a weird orange concoction on the wounds. There were fights and robberies, and the medical truck, which was like a modified golf cart, was constantly in motion, racing from one disaster to the next. As it turns out, a lot. By far, the most deadly attraction at Action Park was the Tidal Wave Pool. Half of all the Action Park deaths took place at this location. The Tidal Wave Pools waves and strong riptide were generated by massive pressure chambers. At least Alabama Adventure Amusement Park in Bessemer shut down the Wild River Gorge Ride after it overturned and trapped numerous riders back in the summer of 2009. And it may be dangerous to speak up. Action Park comes out of the 1970s and has connections to an ex-Wall Street employee Gene Mulvihill. They brought in someone from the Navy to measure the effect of the slide. Six. There have been numerous water issues at the Sun Valley Water Park in Powder Springs, Georgia, according to the IAAPA. The parks Tarzan Swing catapulted helpless attendees into water so cold that it could induce shock, and triggered a lethal heart attack in 1984. Their rides create the illusion of feeling unsafe, even though everything is designed with the utmost safety in mind. The park offered employees $100 to test ride the Cannonball slide, and crash dummies reportedly were mutilated. Sports Illustrated recently published a 3,300-word article under the headline, Remembering Action Park, Americas Most Dangerous, Daring Water Park. And in 2014, Cory Booker, a United States senator from New Jersey and a Democratic presidential candidate, wrote on Twitter, Ive got stories 2 tell. Now a documentary is on the way. One issue with rides like thisand the entire parkis that there didnt seem to be any consulting with engineers. We jumped BMX bikes off of homemade ramps and did flying elbows off of our garages onto a pile of mattresses. Both coasters hit a maximum speed well in excess of 70 mph, so it's no wonder accidents frequently lead to death. I remember listening in terror as someone recounted going down an intensely steep waterslide and receiving what they called a freshwater enema.. People were driving wherever they wanted. Flying off the track was a common occurrence. You wouldn't think a ride at Disney World would be among the most dangerous, but EPCOT's Mission: Space has claimed numerous casualties since it first opened back in 2003. They were leaving the track in their car and driving through the grass. It was total chaos, but also super fun and a great way to grow up., For his part, Kimmel thinks all that fun as well as all that fear were simply one in the same. Also, the staff was as young as 14, and around 17 on average. The total injury count is impossible to tally. The area was getting popular as Hugh Hefner had opened a Playboy camp in the same area and there were hopes the area could be the next Vegasor at least Atlantic City. Despite the obvious consequences of hiding safety information from the public, there are still at least 13 secrets water parks wont tell you. My cousin got his ass stuck in one of the suction intakes in the wave pool. The track was made of fiberglass and concrete with a nice mix of asbestos mixed in. After the adjustments, they started testing the Cannonball Loop ride with their teenage employees. She loves trying new things (snacks) and can often be found sitting on a park bench writing out a new food review for practice. They were going on rides in any position they wanted and hitting the water at such force, shoulders were being dislocated. And that's just in Florida the Monorail at Disneyland in California also has one fatality to its name, though that was due to idiocy by a teenager who climbed up on the tracks and got run over. RyePlayland has been up and running since 1938 and there have been at least six different major incidents reported there. It turns out many of the carts were broken, so the brakes would do nothing. It doesn't matter where adrenaline enthusiasts live, there's always a theme park or two they're trying to chase. As it turns out, there's a very good reason your body and mind are reeling in terror when you go on amusement park rides because some of them, like the following, are downright deadly. Perhaps Superman isn't the hero we all thought he was? Like: What the heck were my parents thinking taking me there? WebLegend City featured a number of popular and memorable attractions such as the Lost Dutchman Mine ride, Cochises Stronghold river ride, Sky Ride, Penny Arcade, Miniature WELCOME to New Jersey's Action Park, the country's most dangerous attraction, which took the lives of several visitors in the decades after it opened in 1978. Enticed by what they were hearing, even more questionable youth started to show up. One ride that McKeown remembers taking as a child ended with a sheer 20 foot drop into water. But in 2007, five people were injured on the log flume ride, which remained closed for a significant amount of time while technicians worked to fix a malfunction that caused the traumatic event. He had to be stretchered out. His next move was to buy up some old ski resorts in Vernon, New Jersey. One water slide was designed to create zero Gs and the rider would take flight in the air while going down it. An older man fellnearly 17 feet from a roller coaster and suffered serious injuries. Police in the area said the majority of their calls during the day were for Action Park. By the 1990s, attendance dropped. Seven children were among those injured in 2016 when five gondolas plunged 30 feet to the cement floor. All-in-all, six people died in seven years at the park. But it wasnt just Cannonball Loop; there was Cannonball Falls, which was a water slide that would launch you out ten feet in the air into a 17-foot deep pool below. Was the American Airlines AAirpass the Worst Promotion Ever? At least, the Superman-themed ride at Darien Lake in Buffalo, New York isn't. He had been found guilty of money laundering and fraud. How is this real? Anyway, my uncle ultimately smashed the barrier hard enough on his last run to dislocate his shoulder, and we went home., James, a 46-year-old from Trenton, had gone to more traditional amusement parks as a kid, but a cool aunt turned him on to Action Park. Most infamous of all the rides was the famed Cannonball Loop, a water slide with an enclosed loop in it. He sustained a fatal head injury when his head struck a rock, the site says. These abandoned amusement parks will give you the creeps. In particular, Disney World in Florida has had some pretty awful things happen, including that very publicized event with the alligator. To override the speed governor and the rider would take flight in the years to come Lerner is a writer! 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